Little East Conference Tournament - Game Two
#5 Eastern Connecticut Downs #2 Southern Maine 13-6

            BOSTON -- The fifth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors pounded out 16 hits, including seven for extra bases, en route to a 13-6 victory over the second-seeded University of Southern Maine Huskies in a first-round game of the six-team, double-elimination Little East Conference Baseball Championship Tournament at Monan Park.

            The loss moves the Huskies (29-12) into an elimination game Thursday (12:00 p.m.) against the top-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons.  The Beacons (26-13) were upset 4-3 by sixth-seeded Western Connecticut State University in the opening game of the tournament.

            Eastern Connecticut (20-17) advances in the winners bracket to play tomorrow night (7:00 p.m.) against the winner of the late game between the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University.

            The Warriors jumped on USM senior starter Shyler Scates (Jefferson, Maine/Erskine Academy) for four runs in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead.  Rookie Alex Parkos (Meriden, Conn./Xavier) struck the big blow with a three-run home run.

            Southern Maine picked up a single run in its half of the first on a single from senior Jake Glauser (Goffstown, N.H.), and again in the third on Glauser's sacrifice fly.

            Eastern Connecticut put another four-spot on the board in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from sophomore D.J. Scavone (Auburn, Mass.), an RBI single from Parkos, and an RBI groundout from junior Christian Budzik (Cromwell, Conn.).

            In the sixth inning, the Huskies had a run in on an RBI single by senior Nick DiBiase (Portland, Maine/Deering) and the bases loaded with two outs, but ECSU reliever freshman Nick Rascati (Wallingford, Conn./Xavier) came on to get the final out.

            Sophomore Nick Bowie (South Paris, Maine/Oxford Hills) drove in another run for the Huskies with a double in the seventh to close the gap to 8-4.

            However, Eastern Connecticut responded with two runs in the eight on a two-run homer from junior Alex Zachary (Enfield, Conn./Enrico Fermi), and three more in the ninth on a bases-clearing double from freshman Alexander White (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) to offset single runs for the Huskies in each inning.

            Scavone was 3 for 4 with two doubles and three RBI to pace the Warriors' 16-hit attack.  Zachary, Parkos, senior Tim Budd (Cheshire, Conn.), junior Pat Sirois (Cromwell, Conn.) and senior Chad Adams (Ware, Mass./Williston Northampton) had two hits apiece.  Every starter in the ECSU lineup had at least one hit.

            Freshman Jordan Muchin (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) picked up his fifth win of the season against one loss.  Muchin gave up three runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings.

            DiBiase and sophomore Sam Stauble (Harrison, Maine/Bridgton Academy) had three hits apiece for the Huskies.  Bowie had a double and a single, and sophomore Brandon Martins (Manorville, N.Y.) had two singles.  Scates, the first of six hurlers used by the Huskies, was tagged with his second loss against seven wins. 

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