Triton pitcher Dylan Hensley winds up in the fourth inning of his team’s opener with Oregon-Davis Thursday. (Photos by James Costello)

BOURBON — Ah, spring in northern Indiana. With weather taking unpredictable turns, teams have to play ‘em when they can get ‘em.

Temperatures dipping into the low 30s and snow flurries didn’t stop Triton baseball from playing its opener with Oregon-Davis Thursday. And despite the increasingly frigid conditions in Bourbon, the Trojans got hot in the third and stayed hot, scratching out 14 runs over two frames on the way to a 16-4, 4 1/2-inning victory over the visiting Bobcats.

“Hey, we played good. I figured out some stuff we’ve got to work on; that’s the main reason we wanted to get the game in,” said Triton baseball coach Tyler Hensley. “Northern Indiana stinks. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

Max Slusser takes off after laying down a sac bunt attempt for Triton.

The Trojans led by a tenuous 2-1 margin headed into the bottom of the third before some wildness by OD starter John Yamikicki, a trio of errors by the Bobcats and a run-scoring triple from lead-off hitter Delano Shumpert helped the home team break it open with five runs.

Yamicki gave up a lead-off walk to Dylan Hensley, Keygan Mosier reached on a throwing error from short, and Ryan Kauffman chopped a soft liner into left that rolled past Bobcats left fielder Dennis Cooley, allowing both Hensley and Mosier to score. Vincent Helton grounded out back to Yamicki for the second out of the side, but Kaufffman scored on the play, Ty Orsund reached on a pop-up down the first baseline that was misjudged and then overthrown by Yamicki, and Shumpert ripped a three-bagger down the left field line before Max Slusser drew a walk. When OD catcher Trevor Risner took the bait trying to pick off Slusser stealing second, Shumpert scored to push the Trojans’ lead out to 7-1.

Three walks and a hit batter gave OD a run back in the top of the fourth, but Avery struggled to find his command in relief of Yamicki in the bottom half of the inning, and Triton capitalized with nine more runs.

Avery walked three and hit two batsmen, the Bobcats committed four more errors, and Hensley, Mosier and Kauffman belted out three straight doubles in their second time through the order against the OD left-hander to balloon the home team’s lead out to 16-2.

Keygan Mosier stretches for a put-out of OD’s Jeff Avery at first Thursday.

“Just get on base — that’s what we talk about all the time. We haven’t had many practices, not good, hitting practices. Today we actually showed we can hit,” said Tyler Hensley. “Not the greatest pitching, but that’s alright. It doesn’t have to be the greatest pitching. Just put the bat on the ball and somehow find a way to score.”

A pair of infield errors and a walk cut that cushion down by two in the top of the fifth, but Hensley bore down to fan Josh Bope for the game’s final out.

Hensley gave up just one hit — an RBI double by Risner in the top of the first — and struck out 11 but surrendered six walks and hit a batter on the way to his first win of 2018. It was a gutsy performance in miserable conditions, conditions which the senior right-hander weathered in short sleeves.

“I don’t know why he’s not wearing sleeves,” laughed Tyler Hensley. “He pitched pretty good. His arm is sore right now. He didn’t tell me it was sore in the third inning or fourth. He did really good for his first day. And he just got back from Florida for a week and a half. He pitched pretty good.”

Delano Shumpert slides home for the first of three runs scored while OD catcher Trevor Risner waits for the throw home.

Junior Shumpert did his job and then some batting in the lead-off spot in the Triton lineup, meanwhile, going 4 for 4 on base with three runs scored and 1 for 1 officially with his big, run-scoring triple. Not too shabby for a player who took 2017 off.

“He didn’t play for us last year. He should’ve, but that’s just how it is. So I got him to play this year because he played his freshman year,” Tyler Hensley explained. “He’s got wheels, he’s got speed, he’s got a good arm, and he can hit the ball because he’s strong. He showed me a lot today for not playing for a year.”

While OD slides to an 0-2 start, Triton opens at 1-0 and is scheduled to face Tippecanoe Valley in a doubleheader on the road in Akron Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces so I’ve got a lot of stuff to work on, a lot by the end of the season. It’s a good game. We played good,” said Tyler Hensley.