Courtesy Trinity Sports Information

HARWICH, Mass. – Senior OF Aaron Goldstein (Edina, Minn.) went 3-for-4 with three RBI and tied the score in the top of the ninth with a run-scoring single to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 6-4 win over the Wheaton College Lyons in the finals of the NCAA Division III Regional Championship Baseball Tournament at Whitehouse Field this afternoon.

Trinity, ranked No. 1 in New England and No. 5 in the nation, improves to a best-ever 35-7 with its fourth straight win in the tournament and advances to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tourney next weekend in Wisconsin for the second time in three seasons. The Lyons close the season with a 33-12 record.

In the top of the ninth inning, Trinity scored three runs after allowing four runs in the bottom of the eighth frame. Senior OF Matt Engster (Glastonbury, Conn.) reached first base on a fielder’s choice after a leadoff single by sophomore SS Tim Bourdon (Simsbury, Conn.), and was balked to second by Wheaton senior starter Matt Ponte (Fairhaven, Mass.). Ponte intentionally walked Bantam senior co-captain 3B Jeff Natale (Hamden, Conn.), putting the game-winning run on base, and Goldstein hit a shot to right field that tipped off the glove of the leaping Lyon rightfielder to score Engster. The runners advanced on the throw home and Ponte put Trinity senior co-captain C Andrew Fries (Dublin, Ohio) on first base with another intentional pass before giving way to freshman southpaw Brian Hughes (Dudley, Mass.). Trinity freshman Matt Stafford (Plymouth, Mass.) came through with an RBI pinch hit that dropped just in front of the diving Wheaton centerfielder to give Trinity a one run lead at 5-4. Trinity senior 2B Bill Wise (East Longmeadow, Mass.) followed with a sacrifice fly to left to give the Bantams a two run cushion. Bantam sophomore RHP Tim Kiely (Swampscott, Mass.) tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his second win of the tournament.

Wheaton had taken a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning with just one earned run coming off Kiely on an RBI single by freshman OF Pat O’Connor (Mattapoisett, Mass.) and the other three coming on a three-run throwing error by Natale with the bases loaded.

Trinity broke a scoreless tie with a run in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore DH Ben Silvanic (Granby, Conn.) led off the inning with a single to left and scored on an RBI single to left field by Goldstein. The Bantams added two more runs in the seventh frame on a single by senior Engster, an RBI triple by Natale, and a sacrifice fly by Goldstein.

Trinity sophomore RHP Jon Rappaport (Longmeadow, Mass.) pitched six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and fanning five. Rappaport faced little trouble before hitting the leadoff batter in the seventh and was relieved by freshman righty Michael Regan (West Roxbury, Mass.). Regan’s first hitter reached base on a Trinity fielding error, but Regan got the next batter to hit into a double play and then walked and fanned the next two to preserve the shutout. Kiely allowed two hits and two walks and struck out four in the last two innings.

Trinity placed Natale, Wise, and Kiely on the all-tournament team, while Engster finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs and Silvanic was 2-for-4. Ponte, O’Connor, and senior RHP Jon Jackson (Ipswich, Mass.) made the all-tourney team for the Lyons.