Hamilton College's Cole Dreyfuss '16 pitched six strong innings as the Continentals bounced back in Game 2 and earned a split with Trinity College in a non-conference doubleheader at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla., on March 20.
Hamilton (4-2 overall) won 3-2 in the nightcap after the Bantams exploded for a 10-run fifth inning en route to a 14-1 victory in Game 1. The Continentals play two non-conference games against Allegheny College on Friday, March 22.
In the second game, Dreyfuss allowed two runs on just two hits, walked five and struck out five. Tommy Moriarty '14 pitched the seventh inning for his first career save. Sam Fuentes '13 collected two hits and Zach Becker '16 hit a triple. Steve LaRochelle '14 laced a two-run single down the left field line that scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the third inning.
Hamilton loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first, but could not capitalize. Ben Goffin '15 flied out to right field and Fuentes was thrown out at the plate on the play. Joe Jensen '15 ended the inning by grounding into a fielder's choice.
For the second time of the afternoon, the Bantams (6-5) scored a pair of runs in the second inning and grabbed a 2-0 lead. Bryan Wolfe walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wolfe came around to score on Scott Huley's single up the middle. Huley advanced to third on two wild pitches and was knocked in by Carson Kenney's groundout to second base.
The Continentals took the lead with three runs in the third inning. Becker smacked a one-out triple down the left field line, and walks to Gabe Klein '13and Goffin put runners on every base. Jensen lined a ground ball to second base and Trinity attempted to turn the double play, but Jensen beat the throw to first and Becker scooted across the plate. LaRochelle drove in Klein and Goffin with his single that bounced off the third base bag.
Dreyfuss settled down after the second inning and didn't allow a runner past first base until he was removed after the sixth. During that stretch, Tyler Reinhold '15 threw out a runner trying to steal second, and Dreyfuss picked off a runner for the final out of the sixth.
Trinity's Michael Rueger nearly tied the score in the seventh when he hit the third pitch of the inning over the left field fence, but it was ruled a foul ball and Moriarty came back to strike him out. Crowley extended the inning with an infield single and proceeded to steal second base. But Moriarty got Alex Alemida to fly out to deep left field where Klein made the catch at the fence and clinched the win for the Continentals.
In the first game, John Meuchner took a no-hitter into the fifth inning for the Bantams. Meuchner finished with nine strikeouts and allowed just one hit over five innings. Stephen Rogers blasted a three-run homer and eight of Trinity's starters finished with at least one hit. Kyle Decker went 3-for-5 and was a home run short of the cycle. Robert Ferrara had two doubles and scored two runs. Joe Papa was a perfect 2-for-2 and Bryan Ginsberg added two hits, including a double.
After both teams went down in order in the first inning, Trinity scored two runs in the top of the second. Papa led off the inning with a single and a double down the left field line by Ferrera put runners on second and third with no outs. Consecutive sacrifice flies to right field by Wolfe and Marc Crowley gave the Bantams a 2-0 lead.
Trinity still held a 2-0 advantage in the top of the fifth inning when the Bantams exploded for 10 runs. Almeida started things with a double to center field. Michael Rueger's infield bunt single placed runners on the corners and Rogers blasted a three-run homer over the right field fence to put Trinity up 5-0.
Following a walk to Papa, Ferrera doubled in pinch-runner Adam Moossmann, and knocked starting pitcher Ryan Crawford '15 out of the game. Trinity then strung together six consecutive one-out hits. Crowley drove in Ferrera with a single, and scored on Decker's triple. Ginsberg hit a double to the gap in left center that drove in Decker. Pinch hitters Evan Sternberg and Cameron Armstrong, along with Moossmann, all singled and Sternberg and Moossmann picked up RBIs. Armstrong also came around to score the inning's final run.
In Hamilton's half of the fifth, Reinhold doubled to right field and broke up Meuchner's no-hitter. Trinity threatened again in the sixth inning with two runners on and one out, but Andrew Jaffoni '15 got Sternberg on a ground ball and struck out Armstrong.
The Bantams tacked on two runs in the seventh. Trinity loaded the bases with three walks, and Wolfe and Crowley drove in one runner apiece with a fielder's choice and sacrifice fly, respectively.
Hamilton rounded out the scoring with one run in the bottom of the inning. Brian Ferrell '16 drew a two-out walk and Goffin's pinch-hit double to left center drove him in from first.