AUBURNDALE, Fla. --  Senior Nik Ververis (Plainfield)  knocked in two runs with a fifth-inning double and junior righty Chuck Vogt (Windsor Locks)  allowed two runs over the first six innings as the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team downed Ramapo College, 4-2, Wednesday afternoon.

At right: Brent Pelella

Trailing 2-1, Eastern (4-3) pushed across three runs in the fifth on two doubles and an infield error, and relievers Brent Pelella (Southbury) and Adam Merritt (Seymour) combined to shut out Ramapo (4-2) over the final three innings. Freshman Michael Thienel (Woodstock) doubled to open the inning and after an infield error allowed senior Adam Roderick (West Hartford) to reach, Ververis  came through with a two-run double that gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead. Following a double steawl, junior Kyle Hart (Guilford) drove in Ververis with an infield ground ball for an insurance run.

Ramapo scored both of its runs in the early innings to take a quick 2-0 lead. Making his third start of the year, Vogt (2-1)  allowed seven hits while fanning three, walking two and hitting a batter and was lifted in favor of Pelella with a 4-2 lead. Ramapo  put two runners aboard in the ninth on an error and single, but Merritt induced a game-ending 6-4-3 double play to gain his first career save.

The meeting was the first regular-season one between the program, the Warriors having won twice in NCAA regional play in 1981 and 1988 at Alumni Field. The Roadrunners are coming off last year's NCAA regional tournament berth and final record of 30-16-1.

Eastern faces Trinity College Thursday at 9:15 a.m. at Auburndale.