Warriors Slug Their Way Past Baseball
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Eastern Conn. St. | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 2 |
|
Mitchell | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team pounded out 17 hits and 18 runs on Tuesday afternoon, powering past Mitchell College, 18-6, in a non-conference game at Alumni Field that was shortened to seven innings.
Senior Michael Gajda (New Britain, Conn.) had a team-high two hits for the Mariners, driving in a run and scoring once. Sophomore Chase Donahue (Shirley, Mass.) went 1-2 with a grand slam, the first home run of his Mitchell career, picking up four RBI and one run scored.
Facing junior righty Jacob Quiles (Wallkill, N.Y.), the Warriors wasted little time on offense, plating four runs in the top of the first, one run in the second, and three more in the third to build an early 8-0 advantage. The Mariners battled back in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair of runs on RBI singles by sophomore Chas Terni Jr. (Montville, Conn.) and Gajda, before Donahue launched a pitch by Eastern's Nathan Furino over the left-center fence to make it an 8-6 ballgame.
Unfortunately for Mitchell, Eastern was able to answer right back in the top of the fourth when Ian Moser led off the frame with a single, Preston Cosme-Cruz walked one batter later, and Emmanuel Zaiter singled in the infield to load the bases full of Warriors. The ninth hitter in the order, Nick Montagna, then stepped to plate and got the four runs right back for the visitors, sending a pitch by Mitchell's Ethan Chavez (New London, Conn.) over the right-center fence for his first homer of the season. The Warriors added one more run in the fourth, before tacking on five more across the ensuring three innings.
Ian Moser, Alejandro Soriano, and Emmanuel Zaiter had three hits apiece for Eastern. Montagna finished 2-5 with grand slam, four RBI, and two runs scored, while Cameron Forte added a two run shot in the seventh.
Jacob Quiles dropped to 0-1 on the season after surrendering eight runs in two innings of work. Tiernan Powers was credited with the win for Eastern after entering the game with a two-run lead in the top of the fourth and tossing a pair of no-hit innings in relief.
The Mariners (2-3, 0-0 GNAC) won't have to wait long to shake off the loss, as they return to the diamond on Wednesday, March 5, hosting crosstown rival Coast Guard Academy with first pitch scheduled for 2:30 pm. The Warriors (2-1, 0-0 LEC) next play on Saturday, March 8, when they play a non-league doubleheader at Tufts University.
