Box
Score
WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – The Trinity College Bantams (28-5) and
the Williams College Ephs (25-11), the East and West NESCAC
Division Champions respectively, faced off on Bobby Coombs Field
this morning, resulting in an 8-3 Trinity victory. The Ephs will
take on Tufts (who knocked out Wesleyan this morning at Wacohnah
Park in Pittsfield by a score of 15-10) at Bobby Coombs with a
projected start time of 3:15 PM this afternoon.
Junior ace Jeremiah Bayer (10-0) started for Trinity and went the
distance for his 4th complete game on the year. He allowed 3 runs
(0 earned) on 5 hits and 5 walks while striking out 6. Junior Paul
Burgdorf (3-2) began the game for Williams, giving up 5 runs (4
earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks.
Junior Matt Sullivan had the biggest day at the plate for the
Bantams, going 2 for 5 with a 3-run homerun just inside the field
foul pole in the bottom of the second inning. Senior catcher and
team leader in hitting Sean Killeen went 2 for 5 with an RBI, and
junior James Wood and freshman Kevin Mortimer also had multi-hit
games. Freshman Cameron Susk and senior Taylor Mikell each had two
singles off Bayer for Williams.
Williams was the away team today (decided by a coin flip) and
they put a runner on second with one out in the top of the first
inning. But freshman Stephen Maier was thrown out at third
trying to advance on a pitch in the dirt, ending the early Eph
threat. Trinity scored the game's first run in their half of
the frame off a two-out rally, as Killeen doubled to left and
junior Kent Graham singled him in to give the Bantams a 1-0 lead
after one.
Another Williams threat was spoiled by their baserunning in the
second. After Susk leadoff with a walk, Mikell faked a bunt
to move Trinity's infielders around while Susk attempted to steal
second. The Bantams were not fooled however, and Susk was
thrown out. Mikell singled two pitches later but the Ephs
could not bring him in.
Trinity jumped on Burgdorf in the bottom of the frame, putting
their first two hitters on base. After a failed sacrifice
bunt and a near double-play, it looked like Burgdorf would pitch
oput of the jam, but with two outs and an 0-and-2 count, Sullivan
left the yard to make it a 4-0 Trinity advantage.
Freshman Dan Grossman came in to relieve Burgdorf in the third
after an error, a hit, and a walk loaded the bases. Grossman
hit the first batter he faced for the fifth Trinity run, but he
battled for the next two outs to leave the bases full. The
rookie would finish the game for the Ephs, allowing 3 runs on 7
hits with 4 strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. Trinity tagged
him for one run in the sixth, in the seventh, and in the eighth,
including a leadoff homerun by senior Ryan Piacentini in the
seventh. It is also of note that freshman James Allison made
a sensational diving play to snare a line drive in the sixth to
limit the damage in that inning.
Williams got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, when an
error by the shortstop put runners on second and third with one
out. Junior Chad Brown brought in junior Al Mathews on a
sacrifice fly to make it a 5-1 ballgame. The Ephs would
strike for two more in the sixth, as Mathews (who reached on an
error) scored on a wild pitch and Susk came in to score from second
on senior Zach Stone's line drive single to center.
After a one-two-three seventh (courtesy of two diving plays by
Trinity's left fielder and shortstop), Susk and Mikell drilled
back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth, but Bayer would
get the next two out to keep it a 7-3 score. The Bantams
tacked on another in the bottom of the eighth and Bayer would close
out the ninth in quick order to seal the 8-3 victory.
The defending NESCAC and Division III National Champion Bantams
will have to be defeated twice tomorrow if they are to be bounced
from this double elimination tournament. They will face the winner
of this afternoon's 3:15 game tomorrow morning at 10AM in
Williamstown.
