MANSFIELD, Conn. – Graduate student James Salta (Laconia, N.H.) had three hits in the opener, but Eastern Connecticut State University powered past Plymouth State University in a pair of Little East Conference (LEC) baseball games at Eastern Baseball Stadium on Thursday night.
 
The Warriors bats looked to be in midseason form while PSU was playing its season-opening games as ECSU swept the double header by 12-0 and 18-3 scores, ending both games after seven innings.
 
Plymouth State (0-2, 0-2 LEC) will look to exact some revenge over the Warriors (5-0, 2-0 LEC) when the two teams meet again on Saturday (Mar. 27).
 
The Basics:

• Game 1: Plymouth State 0, Eastern Conn. St. 12 (7 inn.)
• Game 2: Plymouth State 3, Eastern Conn. St. 18 (7 inn.)
  • Plymouth State (0-2, 0-2 LEC)
  • Eastern Connecticut St. (5-0, 2-0 LEC)

 
How it Happened (Game One):

• The Warriors raced out to the lead with a five-run first.
• The hosts added single runs in the third and fourth to make it 7-0.
• Graduate student James Salta (Laconia, N.H.) started the top of the fifth with his second hit of the night but was stranded at second.
• Eastern Connecticut added five runs on six hits in the fifth inning and Plymouth State was unable to claw back.

By the Numbers (Game One):

• J. Salta was a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish with two singles and a double to account for all three of the Panthers' hits. He added a stolen base.
• Sophomore Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.) and graduate student Gavin Cook (Littleton, N.H.) each worked a walk.
• Sophomore Richie Marique (Derry, N.H.) worked the first three innings, before classmates Ryan Conklin (Middletown, Conn.) and Ryan Hurlbert (Middletown, Conn.) combined to throw the final three.

 
How it Happened (Game Two):

• J. Salta got the Panthers going with a leadoff walk to start the second. After a pair of outs, freshman Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) and senior Andrew Wasilefsky (Willington, Conn.) worked base-on-balls to load the bases before classmate Joe Routhier (Nashua, N.H.) cleared the bags with a three-run double.
• Eastern Connecticut got two runs back in the third and nearly tied the game, but a perfect relay throw from Routhier to Cook cut down the tying run at the plate.
• Crane doubled to start the fourth and later stole third but was stranded and the Warriors kept the momentum with a three-run bottom of the inning to go ahead 5-3.
• ECSU padded the lead with two runs in the fifth before exploding for 11 runs in the bottom of the sixth.

By the Numbers (Game Two):

• Crane and Routhier had the Panthers' two hits, both doubles, with Routhier driving in all three PSU runs.
• Crane added a stolen base.
• Junior Noah Wachter (Concord, N.H.) struck out six over his 4.2 innings, but took the loss (0-1).

 
Up Next:

• The teams meet again on Saturday (Mar. 27) for a pair of non-conference games.