Hartford, Conn. – First-year RHP Dylan Callahan (Greenwich, Conn.) entered the game with one out and runners at first and second in the top of the first inning and allowed just one run and five hits with five strikeouts and two walks to earn his first career win and lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 5-3 victory over the visiting Keene State College Owls in baseball action this afternoon. Trinity improves to 11-8 with the win in its home opener, while Keene State drops to 6-13.
Callahan relieved sophomore starter Rob Gau (Westport, Conn.) and struck out the first batter he faced before yielding a two-out RBI double to Owl sophomore OF Ian Seawards (Dover, N.H.) that gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. Callahan got the next batter to ground out and pitched three straight scoreless innings, before allowing one run in the fifth frame on a two-out RBI single by Seawards. The Trinity offense took the lead in the second inning with four runs, highlighted by a double by senior C Evan Sternberg (Glen Ridge, N.J.), an RBI single by sophomore 2B Connor Sullivan (Fairfield, Conn.), and a sacrifice fly by senior OF Alex Almeida (Bridgeport, Conn.).
Callahan pitched into the sixth, before being relieved with two outs by sophomore righty David O'Brien (Fairfield, Conn.) who gave up four hits and one unearned run over the final 10 outs to record his second save. Freshman starter Eddie Dionne (Concord, N.H.) took the loss for the Owls, allowing five hits and two earned runs with 5 K's and four walks over five innings, while three Keene State relievers held the Bantams hitless and scoreless over the final four frames. Keene State loaded the bases off O'Brien in the eighth inning, but got just one run home. Seawards finished 3-for-4 at the plate, and Owl sophomore 2B Tanner Chase (York, Maine) was 2-for-4 with a double. No Trinity player had more than one hit, but the Bantams took advantage of 10 walks and two hit batsmen.