SOLID NIGHT

Some things never change. When Trinity needs someone to step up and carry the load, Brock Beachem finds a way to answer the call.

For the second time this season, number 86 takes home Player of the Week honors — and just like the first time, he earned it by doing double duty. Beachem pitched both games against Bright Hope while also putting together one of the better nights at the plate on a team that came in a little rusty after a 20-day layoff. That kind of effort on both sides of the ball in the same night is something not many guys on this roster can do, and Beachem makes it look routine.

At the plate he went 6-for-8 across the doubleheader with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. In game one he went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs, one of the better individual lines of the night on a team that was struggling to convert hits into runs. When the offense was having a hard time finding its rhythm coming off the long break, Beachem was one of the few guys who looked sharp from the start. In game two he kept right on going — 3-for-4 with a double and another RBI, helping Trinity put together a much more competitive performance in a 9-12 loss that could have easily gone the other way.

Then on top of all of that he went out and pitched both games. In a slow pitch league the pitcher's job is about keeping the game moving, throwing strikes, and giving the defense a chance to make plays — and that's exactly what he did for all 14 innings on the night. Taking the ball for both games after a three-week break from action, while also being one of the most productive hitters in the lineup, is a serious workload that deserves recognition.

This is what Brock Beachem does. Week in and week out he shows up, takes the ball, and contributes in multiple ways. His first Player of the Week came back in week three under similar circumstances — a tough night for the team, but a strong individual performance from him on both sides. Week nine was more of the same.

Trinity is still searching for consistency as the season winds down, but as long as number 86 keeps bringing this kind of effort, they've always got a chance.