PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Eastern Connecticut State University used
strong pitching and timely hitting Saturday afternoon to sweep a
Little East Conference baseball doubleheader from Plymouth State
University, 4-2 and 7-0, in the final regular season games of the
year at Panther Park.
Junior Jimmy Jagodzinski (Greenwich, Conn.) limited the Panthers to
a pair of ninth inning unearned runs in the opener, improving his
record to 8-2 on the season and taking over the LEC lead in
victories. Jagodzinski allowed 10 hits but didn't walk a
batter and struck out 12.
Senior Joe Esposito (East Haven, Conn.) pitched seven innings of
shutout ball in the nightcap, earning the win for Eastern to
improve to 5-1. He surrendered three hits and four walks
while fanning nine. Junior Michael Montanari (Newington,
Conn.) and freshman Ronnie Newkirk (New Milford, Conn.) each
pitched a perfect inning of relief.
The
outcome leaves ECSU with a 27-11-1 overall record and an 11-3 LEC
mark heading into next week's conference tournament. PSU
misses out on qualifying for the tournament and completes the
season at 12-26 overall and 3-11 in conference play.
Eastern took a 3-0 lead in the third inning of the opener.
Senior Jon Dalton (Standish, Maine) delivered a two-run double and
then came around to score on a single by junior Shawn Gilblair
(Windham, Conn.) It stayed that way until the eighth inning,
when the Warriors extended the margin to 4-0 on Gilblair's home run
to right field. It was his 12th round-tripper of the season,
which is tied for the LEC lead.
PSU
managed a pair of runs in the ninth inning when freshman
Seth Labossiere (Lincoln, R.I.)
and senior Jim VanGyzen (Glocester, R.I.) reached
base with singles. Junior Marc McGinnis
(Hanover, Mass.) followed with a single to right, and Labossiere
and VanGyzen came around to score when the ball got past the right
fielder. With the potential tying run at the plate,
Jagodzinski got the next Panther batter to pop out to end the game.
PSU actually out-hit the visitors in the opener, 10-8.
PSU
senior Chip Hale (Londonderry, N.H.) pitched well
for the Panthers but suffered the loss (3-3). He allowed four runs
on eight hits and two walks in the complete-game effort, striking
out six.
The
Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the second inning of the nightcap, and
pulled away with two runs in the fourth inning and single runs in
the fifth and sixth.
Sophomore Travis Bass (West Hartford, Conn.) had a two-run single
in the second inning, and came home on an infield out.
Classmate John Parke (Middlefield, Conn.) brought home a run in the
fourth inning when he walked with the bases loaded, and Dalton
followed with an RBI groundout. Junior Andrew Magliola (East
Haven, Conn.) and freshman Andrew Dewing (Swampscott, Mass.) added
RBI singles for the Warriors in the fifth and sixth
innings.
The
day marked the final games for PSU seniors Hale, VanGyzen,
John Pogorzelski (Hillsborough, N.J.),
Brandon Hodge (Bradford, Vt.), Justin
Flanagan (Hingham, Mass.), Ryan Lavelle
(Middleboro, Mass.), Kevin Levandowski (Derry,
N.H.) and student assistant Matt Grenier (Saco,
Maine).
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