HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Trinity College Bantams scored three times in the first inning and never surrendered the lead, defeating the Bates baseball team 11-4 Friday in the NESCAC opener for both teams.
The Bantams (6-8, 1-0 NESCAC East) took advantage of back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the first. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a ground out and Sean Meth drove them in with a two-RBI single to right-center. William Frain followed with a single of his own and the Bantams runners at the corners with two outs thanks to a fielder's choice. Then the hosts pulled off a double steal, as Meth stole home for a 3-0 lead over the Bobcats.
Trinity added to their lead in the bottom of the third. With one out, Meth walked and Frain doubled him to third. A Tyler Bernstein sacrifice fly made the score 4-0.
The Bobcats (8-6, 0-1 NESCAC East) rallied against Trinity starter Ian Brown (1-1) in the top of the sixth. Junior
Brandon Biggane (Rensselaer, N.Y.) got the offense going with a double to center. Senior captain
Chris Cimino (Scarborough, Maine) followed with a single to left and Biggane advanced to third. Junior
Ben Genser (Newton, Mass.) delivered a sacrifice fly to get Bates on the board and first-year
Henry Prince (McLean, Va.) drew a walk to chase Brown from the game. A ground out moved both runners up to second and third. Then senior
Dylan Azcárate (Tiburon, Calif.) singled in Genser and Prince, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
The Bobcats loaded the bases, but reliever Michael Aceto was able to get out of the jam without any further damage.
Bates starting pitcher senior
Luke Linnehan (Hingham, Mass.) retired the first two batters he faced in the sixth. But then things unraveled for the Bobcats. A hit by pitch ended Linnehan's day after five and two thirds innings. William Sawyer, who had reached on the HBP, got himself into scoring position with a stolen base. Then a bloop single from Aidan Stern to shallow left off reliever senior
Jack Potash (Stratford, Conn.) scored Sawyer, and the flood gates opened. A double, a walk, and a Bates error followed. Then the Bantams tried another first and third double steal. Bates was able to get the runner at second, but not before the runner coming home from third scored to make the score 8-3.
The Bantams scored three more runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. The Bobcats did score one more run in the contest, as senior captain
Jack Brennan (West Hartford, Conn.) led off the frame with a triple. He scored on a passed ball for the final run of the game, as the hosts shut down the Bates offense from there.
Prince, Azcárate, and sophomore
Gibby Sullivan (Yarmouth, Maine) tallied two hits apiece to pace the Bobcats. Prince doubled and tripled in the contest. Linnehan (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season, giving up five runs on six hits. He walked four and struck out four.
The Bobcats look to bounce back Saturday when they take on Trinity in a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 12 pm.
