DANBURY, Conn. – Making his first start in more than a week, Eastern Connecticut State University junior righty Brent Pelella (Southbury) combined on a six-hitter with freshman righty Ron Buchetto (Clinton) as the Warriors blanked Western Connecticut State University, 11-0, in a Little East Conference baseball game Friday at Westside Field.

At right: Brent Pelella

With the win, Eastern (18-5, 6-1 Little East) moves to within a game of conference leader University of Southern Maine and avoids its first two-game losing streak of the season. Eastern had a ten-game winning streak stopped Thursday, 5-1, by Suffolk University. The Warriors improved to 9-3 this year away from home.

Pelella (4-1) scattered five singles over eight shutout innings, fanning seven, and Buchetto closed it out with a scoreless ninth inning, fanning one, and they were backed by a 13-hit attack. Neither walked a batter as the staff recorded its fifth shutout in the last 15 games.

The Warriors scored their first three runs in the third and nursed that lead until exploding for five in the sixth when they chased Western starting sophomore righty Todd Lyons (0-3). Eastern sent ten batters to the plate in that inning, collecting four hits and also benefitting from two walks and a hit batsman. Eastern scored four of its runs in that inning after there were two out. Senior Adam Roderick (West Hartford) plated two with a double, senior Brendan Lynch (Wethersfield) and junior Joe Perez (North Branford) drove in one each with singles, and junior Corey Keane (Tolland) had a sacrifice fly.

Lynch, Roderick and Perez all had two hits and two RBI. Lynch also scored twice. Both of Roderick's hits were doubles.

Western (13-10, 3-4  Little East) had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Eastern hosts Rhode Island College in a Little East Conference noon doubleheader Saturday.