Trojans score in every inning in 11-5 win over Cristo Rey

Tree of Life Christian School opened fast and never let up Tuesday night, scoring four runs in the first inning and rolling past Cristo Rey 11-5 at home for its second win of the season.

The decisive swing came in the third, when Bubba Jackson ripped a bases-loaded triple to break open the game after what coach John Joseph Brainard described as an offensive lull. Jackson’s extra-base hit restored the early momentum Tree of Life had created by storming out of the gate, and it helped the Trojans continue a steady attack that produced runs in every inning.

Eli Vascura also turned in one of the Trojans’ top offensive performances. Vascura tripled, scored three times and remained in the middle of several scoring threats as Tree of Life kept pressure on Cristo Rey throughout the evening. The balanced production fit the shape of the game, with the Trojans building the lead early and then adding on inning by inning rather than relying on one isolated burst.

Behind the plate, freshman catcher Lincoln Evans delivered a strong defensive game. Evans threw out two runners attempting to steal and helped manage the pitching staff on a very cold evening. Brainard noted after the game that the weather appeared to affect the Trojans’ pitchers, but Tree of Life limited the damage well enough to stay comfortably in front.

That combination of an immediate first-inning surge, timely extra-base hitting and steady defensive work defined the night for the Trojans. Tree of Life grabbed control early against Cristo Rey and never gave it back, with Jackson’s third-inning bases-loaded triple and Vascura’s three-run-scoring night standing out in an 11-5 victory at 4241 Rudy Rd.