Lexington, S.C. - Sophomore Mack Lauder (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and senior Brendan Pierce (Hingham, Mass.) hit a three-run home run and an inside-the-park grand slam, respectively, to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 16-13 victory over the University of Rochester Yellowjackets this afternoon at Lexington County Stadium. Trinity wins its first game of the season to improve to 1-2, and Rochester falls to 0-2. The Bantams will return to the field tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. to face Roger Williams.

First-year Justin Olson (Avon, Conn.)  went six innings and scattered five runs with only one earned run and four hits to earn his first collegiate win on the mound for Trinity.  Rochester starter Jack Donlon lasted just four innings and surrendered four earned runs and nine hits on the mound for the Yellowjackets.

Trinity struck early as junior Geoff Stillman (Scituate, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a single by sophomore Matt Koperniak (Adams, Mass.), and scored on a double steal.  Koperniak, who went 4-for-5 with two RBI, made it 2-0 after one half-inning when he scored on a single by senior 2B Cooper Mooney (Southbury, Conn.). Rookie Justin Olson had a dominant first inning, throwing only seven pitches to retire the first three Yellowjacket batters, but allowed one run in the second inning and four unearned runs in the third.   

Trinity had scored twice in the top of the third inning on an RBI double by junior 1B John Stamatis (Ridgefield, Conn.) and a Mooney sacrifice fly, and erupted for seven more in the fifth frame.  Mooney singled to the right side, classmate Matt Toth (New Canaan, Conn.) reached on an error, and junior Ian Steckel (Winchester, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Junior Tyler Buckey (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) scored Mooney on a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to tie the game at 5-5.  The next three batters recorded run-scoring walks, before Pierce hit a deep fly ball to right-center field.  The Yellowjacket outfielders collided trying to make the play and four Bantams crossed the plate.

Trinity scored twice more in the sixth inning and three times in the seventh when sophomore Mack Lauder launched a three-run homer on his first plate appearance of the year.  Trinity needed four pitchers to get through the bottom of the seventh inning, as Rochester scored seven runs on four hits and five walks to make the score 16-12.  Trinity junior lefty Erik Mohl (Milton, Mass.) went the final seven outs to collect a save, allowing one earned run, one unearned run, and two hits.