HARTFORD, Conn. — The Trinity College baseball team split home opener doubleheader with non-conference opponent Keene State University on Murren Family field on Sunday with an explosive 9-2 victory in the opening contest and a 4-1 loss in the second. The Bantams and Owls opened the season with the same record, 1-1. Trinity continues its home game stretch when they host Nichols College on March 11 at 3 p.m.

The visitors opened the first inning with a run off a a single by Brendan Eaton to bring home Evan Cali, but as Eaton rounded first base, right fielder Colin Mann (Deadham, Mass.) threw a bullet to Jack Mathews (Westport, Conn.) at shortstop to get the runner out at second base. The Navy & Gold sealed the win in the first inning with a quartet of runs batted in, ignited by Jack Ryan (Bethesda, Md.) who doubled and allowed Matthews and Tyler Bernstein (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) to cross the plate. On the following at bat, Sean Meth (Port Washington, N.Y.) allowed Ryan to come home off a single as the home team led, 3-1, with no outs.

Bennett Teceno (Osterville, Mass.) reached first base on a fielder's choice to load the bags with Bantams before Brandon Chow's (Greenwich, Conn.) walk easily sent Meth home for an unearned run. Trinity padded its lead by five runs across the next pair of innings including a stolen home base by Mann in the second inning.

In game two, the Owls took a quick lead in the second and third innings as Shea Zina stole home in the second and a trio of runs in the third. In the eighth inning, Trinity got on the board with a run from Matthews after Meth grounded out to shortstop.