Donovan Continues Hot Pitching, Bantams Clinch Home Field For NESCAC Playoffs
Trinity Baseball Defeats Bates To Open Three-Game Set
Hartford, Conn. – Senior RHP Edward Donovan (Milton, Mass.) won his third game in 12 days, allowing three hits and one run with three walks and six strikeouts over eight innings, to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Bates College Bobcats in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) East Division baseball action this afternoon. Trinity, ranked No. 3 in New England, improves to 22-7 overall and 9-1 in the division, and clinches first place in the NESCAC East and home field for the NESCAC Championship Tournament on May 11-13 for the Bantams. Bates drops to 15-14 overall and 1-6 in the division with its second loss in a row. The teams will continue their three-game series at Trinity tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
Trinity scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the third inning, as senior CF David Casanova (Bristol, Conn.) led off with a hit, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by junior SS Steve Rogers (Watertown, Mass.) to break a scoreless tie. Junior OF Michael Rueger (Teaneck, N.J.) doubled later in the inning over the left fielder's head to score classmate Alex Almeida (Bridgeport, Conn.), and senior tri-captain 1B Kevin Mortimer brought home Rueger with a sacrifice fly.
Bates got on the board in the eighth frame on a two-out double by sophomore Steve Burke (Bedford, N.H.) and an RBI single by classmate Kevin Davis (Andover, Mass.), but managed just two runners to second base and none to third prior to that off Donovan. Trinity junior RHP Ben Goldberg (Plainview, N.Y.) struck out two of the four batters he faced in the ninth to record his fourth save of the spring. Donovan improves to 3-2, having beaten No. 6-ranked Wheaton last Monday, Bowdoin on Saturday, and Bates today. Bobcat Kevin Alexander (Cambridge, Mass.) drops to 4-4 despite a solid effort with seven hits and two earned runs with three K's and no walks allowed over 5.2 innings. Almeida was the lone multiple hitter in the game with two hits and was also hit by a pitch.
