Baseball Falls to Eastern Connecticut, 3-2

BRIDGEWATER, Mass.  --  The Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth inning as the visiting Warriors downed host Bridgewater State University, 3-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Park.

ECSU improves to 15-8-1 on the season, while the host Bears slip to 11-9-1.

Eastern opened the scoring in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Mike Riemer (Ellington, Conn.). Bridgewater answered in the home half of the inning as Tory Buck (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) singled with one out, moved to third on a base hit by Keane Costa (Fairhaven, Mass.) and scored on a wild pitch as Polanco reached on a dropped third strike.

The Bears took a 2-1 lead in the second as John Garabedian (Mansfield, Mass.) walked with two outs in the inning and scored all the way from first on a long double to right-center by Sean Riley (Fairhaven, Mass.).

The score remained that way until the eighth when the Warriors loaded the bases with nobody out against BSU starter Andy Sadoski (Harwich, Mass.). Gavin Lavallee (New Milford, Conn.) gave Eastern the lead as he ripped a two-run single between short and third plating Joe Balowksi (Berlin, Conn.) with the tying run and Riemer with the go ahead score.

Balowski led the Warriors' 13-hit attack as he went 4-for-4 with a run. Lavallee finished 3-for-4 at the plate including his big game-winning hit, while Brendan Lynch went 3-for-5 with a run.

Riley paced the Bears offensively as he went 3-for-5 and was a home shy of hitting for the cycle.

Pat Barnett (Windsor, Conn.) picked up the win in relief for Eastern as he worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Barnett (2-0) gave up just one hit while fanning two.

ECSU closer Matt Purnell (Stafford Springs, Conn.) set down all six batter he faced, including four via the strikeout, to earn his fourth save of the season.

Sadoski pitched well in the losing effort for the hosts as he worked seven plus innings allowing three runs on 12 hits with no walks and a pair of strikeouts. Jake Roderick (Provincetown, Mass.) pitched two scoreless inning in relief for the Bears including working out of a second and third nobody out jam after replacing Sadoski in the eighth.

The two teams combined to leave 17 runners on base with the Warriors stranding nine and the Bears eight.

In upcoming action, the Bears travel to North Adams, Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon for a Masachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader with the MCLA Trailblazers starting at one.