Mansfield, Conn. – Jesse Arnold (Stuart, FL/Port Saint Lucie) tossed a complete game four-hitter to carry #4 Keystone College to a 7-1 victory over #8 Salem State University on Day 2 of the NCAA New England Regional as Eastern Baseball Stadium.  The Giants improve to 35-9 on the season and advance to Friday's critical showdown against #3 Tufts University at 4:30 p.m. in a matchup of the tournament's two remaining unbeaten teams.
 
A win in Friday's final winner's bracket game between the tournament's 2-0 teams would send the Giants, who are now riding a season-high eight game winning streak, to Saturday's regional championship game with a bid the NCAA Division III World Series on the line.  Friday's winner would also have to be defeated twice in the championship round to be denied the regional crown.
 
Arnold's gem on Friday was the second straight stellar outing by a Keystone starter after Felix Baez (San Juan, PR/Colegio Presbiteriano de Puerto Nuevo) struck out 11 and allowed just three hits in eight innings on Thursday against Suffolk University.  Friday was Arnold's turn as the senior right-hander improved to 9-0 on the season after allowing just four hits – only one of which went for extra-bases – while walking one and fanning 10 batters in the complete game. 
 
Batting first as the visiting team on Thursday, Keystone jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in its first at-bats of the game as Chris Triano (Greenwich, CT/Rye) drove in Louis Reyes (Port St. Lucie, FL/Treasure Coast) with a single to left field before Brandon Eady (Bowie, MD/DeMatha Catholic) came home on an RBI groundout by Austin Chaszar (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Regional). 
 
Robbie Nardelli (Eynon, PA/Valley View) broke the game open for the Giants in the top of the third inning with one swing of the bat, launching a three run home run over the left field wall to give Keystone a 5-0 advantage.  The homer was Nardelli's fourth of the season.
 
Eady scored on a Triano double in the visitor's sixth to push the Giants' advantage to six runs before Salem State (24-19-1) got on the board in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single from Jose Cedeno.       
 
Keystone capped the scoring in the top of the ninth inning when Nardelli singled through the right side to bring home Billy Nelson (Moscow, PA/North Pocono).
 
Reyes and Triano had three hits apiece while Eady and Nardelli contributed a pair of hits for the Giants, who outhit the Vikings 12-4 on the day.  Nardelli collected a game-high four RBI while Eady and Nelson scored twice each.   
 
Salem St. starter Matt Abrain was charged with the loss after yielding five runs on six hits in three innings on the bump.  Cato Lacroix yielded two runs on six hits in the final six innings for the Vikings, who got their four hits from four different players the loss. 
 
Salem State will take on #6 Mitchell College in an elimination game on Friday morning.