Trinity Baseball Dominates In-Region Rivals

The Trinity College baseball team, ranked second in Division III, extended their undefeated streak, which is now making national headlines, to a 30-0 record behind a 5-0 week.

The Bantams opened the week with a Tuesday evening game against the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors, expected to be Trinity's most difficult opponent this season.

Instead of a pitchers' duel, the Bantams found themselves in a blowout, as the first seven batters reached base in the first inning before chasing ECSU's Joe Esposito, who started last year's 14-3 ECSU win, from the game. All seven scoredSophomore starter Jeremiah Bayer, this week's NESCAC Pitcher of the Week, held the Warriors to four hits and one run through seven strong innings to pick up the win in the eventual 17-2 Trinity victory.

Fellow sophomore first baseman Kent Graham, this week's NESCAC Co-Player of the Week, led the offensive charge with a 4-5 night with three runs scored and one batted in.

Bayer shone again in the first game of this past Saturday's doubleheader at Amherst College, going 5.2 innings in relief of ace left-handed senior starter Tim Kiely, who lasted 5.1.

Kiely allowed an uncharacteristic four runs (three earned) and left with the lead.

Bayer allowed the tying run to score, unearned, in the seventh inning, but limited the damage and sent the game to extra innings.

Both sides squandered opportunities until the top of the 11th, when senior shortstop Thomas DiBenedetto doubled home Graham with the winning run. The Bantams added an insurance run to bring the final score to 7-5.

Game two against the Lord Jeffs was almost as close, although Trinity scored four runs in the first. Again, Graham led the team with three hits in four at-bats. He scored two runs and drove in one.

The pitchers' duel finally came in game one of this past Sunday's doubleheader against the Brandeis University Judges, when both sides were held to just one hit until sophomore right fielder opened the fifth inning with a home run, the only score of the game.

Senior righthander Chandler Barnard went the distance for Trinity, striking out eight over seven innings.

Graham and DiBenedetto dominated offensively in game two against Brandeis, going 3-4 and 2-3, respectively. DiBenedetto drove in four runs and Trinity took the game by a score of 7-4.

The Bantams will close the regular season with a Saturday doubleheader on May 3 in Middletown, Conn. against the Wesleyan University Cardinals.

The NESCAC Championship Tournament, in which the Bantams have clinched the number one seed in the East Division, will begin on Friday, May 9.