Courtesy Trinity Sports Information

Box Score

HARTFORD, Conn. – Sophomore CF Matt Sullivan (North Reading, Mass.) went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI to lead Trinity to an 11-8 win over visiting Amherst in game six of the 2008 NESCAC Baseball Championship. Trinity improves to a 37-0, extending the nation’s best-ever Division III baseball season start and earns its second NESCAC crown (2003) with a 3-0 record in the double-elimination tournament this weekend.

The Bantams qualify automatically for the 2008 NCAA Baseball Tournament. Amherst, which defeated Tufts, 10-7, this morning to reach the final game, falls to 24-12-1.

Amherst drew first blood with a two-run homer by senior co-captain C Neal Allar (Floyds Knobs, Ind.) in the top of the first inning and a solo shot in the second by senior 1B Nick Boehm (Shaker Heights, Ohio). Trinity quickly responded in the bottom half of the second, as sophomore OF James Wood (Windham, N.H.) led off with a solo homer to right field and Sullivan followed with a two-out double to right three batters later. Sullivan scored on an error, sophomore LF Jack Abbott (Longmeadow, Mass.) hit an RBI single to tie the score, and junior 2B Ryan Piacentini (Portland, Maine) doubled home Abbott to give Trinity the lead at 4-3.

Trinity tacked on four more runs in the fourth frame and added another in the fifth, but Amherst battled back in the seventh inning with four runs to chase Trinity senior RHP Chandler Barnard (Lubbock, Texas). A hit batsman and four consecutive singles including run-scoring hits by Allar and junior 3B Brendan Powers (Walpole, Mass.) cut the Bantam lead to 9-6. Trinity lefty reliever Derek Anderson (Great Falls, Va.) came in for Barnard with the bases loaded and none out and yielded no hits but a sacrifice fly and a fielder’s choice both resulted in Lord Jeff runs to make the score, 9-8, in the middle of the seventh.

Trinity gave itself a cushion with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Sullivan knocked an RBI double and scored on a fielder’s choice by Piacentini. Anderson retired six out of the last seven Amherst batters in the eight and ninth innings, including two on strikeouts in the ninth to record the save. Barnard earned the win despite allowing seven earned runs in six innings to improve to 9-0 for the year, while Amherst freshman starter Ryan Healy (Westport, Conn.) took the loss.

Five different Bantams had two hits in the game, including two doubles and three RBI for Piacentini and a double and a homer for Wood. Allar finished 2-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, while freshman Brian Merrigan (Holbrook, Mass.) was 2-for-5 with two runs scored for the Lord Jeffs.

2008 NESCAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, May 9, through Sunday, May 11

Format
The top two teams in each division shall qualify for the NESCAC Baseball Championship. The double elimination Championship will be hosted by the East Division winner beginning Friday, May 9 2008, through Sunday, May 11. The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

Selection
Pairings will be announced at the conclusion of the regular season. The top two teams in each division shall qualify for the tournament and will be selected on the basis of the following criteria:

1. NESCAC divisional games won
2. NESCAC divisional winning percentage
3. Head-to-head results
4. Overall winning percentage
5. Coin flip

Tournament Schedule (2 Field Format)