Courtesy Trinity Sports Information

APPLETON, Wis. – Senior Chandler Barnard (Lubbock, Texas) threw eight strong innings and sophomore James Wood (Windham, N.H.) came up with a huge game from the plate to lead Trinity to a 8-5 win over Johns Hopkins, earning the Bantams a ticket to their first-ever NCAA Division III National Title game on Tuesday. With the victory, Trinity improves to 44-0, the nation’s longest winning streak.

Wood came up with two big hits for Trinity, a first-inning two-out 2-RBI single and a deep center field homerun in the third, giving the Bantams the offensive spark they needed. Barnard cruised through seven innings from the mound, allowing just two runs, but ran into a bit of trouble in the eighth, allowing three two-out runs to cross the plate.

Senior tri-captain Michael Regan (West Roxbury, Mass.) relieved Barnard in the eighth with two runners in scoring position. He responded by striking out senior Matt Benchener (Newton, Pa.) to stop the bleeding and hold the Bantam lead to 6-5. Prior to the game last night Regan had not recorded a save in his college career, but less than 24 hours later, he has the two biggest in Trinity history.

The Bantams put up three quick runs in the first, highlighted by Wood's 2-RBI single and an RBI base hit by junior catcher Sean Killeen (Greenfield, Mass.). Blue Jay senior catcher Tony Margve (Randolph, N.H.) was able to respond in the second with an RBI hit, cutting into the Trinity lead. In the third, Wood cleared the center-field fence for his 12th homerun of the season. The Bantams added another in the fourth when Barnard ripped a double down the left field line then scored on an error.

In the top of the fifth, Benchener came up with an RBI double for the Blue Jays, his second of the night. Sophomore Kent Graham (Longmeadow, Mass.), who has been hot all series, hit a deep seventh-inning triple to the wall scoring Killeen and giving the Bantams a comfortable 6-2 lead. In the top of the eighth with two outs, Johns Hopkins scored three, capped by a ground rule double by Margve. If the ball had stayed in play, senior Jon Solomon (Fairfax, Va.) would have easily scored and tied the game, but he was forced back to third base, where he was eventually stranded.

After Regan closed the eighth, the Bantams posted two key insurance runs on hard hit RBI singles from senior Tim Bourdon (Simsbury, Conn.) and sophomore Jack Abbott (Longmeadow, Mass.) in the bottom of the inning. Regan then closed the door on the ninth, sending the Bantams to the Championship game.

Barnard, Killeen, Abbott, and Bourdon finished the game with two hits apiece for the Bantams. Johns Hopkins senior Todd Emr (Westwood, N.J.) collected three hits and scored two runs, and Solomon, Margve, and Benchener each had two hits for the Blue Jays.

Barnard earned the win, finishing with 7.2 innings, allowing five runs and striking out six. Blue Jay starter, senior Brian Duddie (San Diego, Calif.) went just three innings and allowed four runs on seven hits. Senior Pat Steffee (Wentzville, Mo.) was strong in relief for the Blue Jays, stiking out four while allowing just one run and 3.1 innings. The Blue Jays used six different pitchers in the game.

Trinity will send senior Tim Kiely (Swampscott, Mass.) to the mound on Tuesday. The winner will need to beat Trinity twice for the title. Trinity needs just one win and will have a day off on Monday. Kiely threw a complete game 6-hitter in the 2-1 win over Cortland St. on Friday. The Championship game is scheduled for 11 a.m. central time.