Box Score UNION, N.J. -- Three Eastern Connecticut State University pitchers combined on an eight-hitter with only two walks but Kean University pushed across three single runs in the middle innings in spoiling the Warriors' 2015 debut with a 3-1 victory in a baseball game between nationally-ranked teams and former national champions.
Also playing its season-opener, 15th-ranked Kean defeated 17th-ranked Eastern in the Warriors' season-debut for the second straight season.
Tabbed as the opening-day pitcher for the first time in his career, junior righty Patrick O'Neill (Thomaston) dueled Kean sophomore lefty Emilio Calderon through three scoreless innings before the Cougar pushed across the only run off O'Neill in the pitcher's four-inning stint. After stranding two runners in scoring position in the third, O'Neill allowed the first run of the game in the fourth on a one-out double and Ryan Kelley's RBI double down the left field line. O'Neill gave up only four hits without a walk and fanned two.
Calderon stymied Eastern only just one hit through eight innings – a one-out single up the middle by senior second baseman Corey Keane (Tolland) -- and left in charge of a 3-0 lead before the Warriors broke through against reliever senior righty Charles Thielmann for their lone run in the ninth.Batting eighth, freshman Ivan Guadalupe (Farmington) and sophomore shortstop Christian Budzik (Cromwell) walked, and senior rightfielder Kyle Hart (Guilford) singled to left-center. Facing the tying run in first-year junior Chad Adams (Ware, MA), Thielmann ended the game by picking off the runner. Calderon fanned five and walked only one.
First-year sophomore transfer lefty Orlando Gonzalez (Montville) pitched three innings of middle relief in his Eastern debut. He gave up four hits and two runs with a strikeout and two walks. Freshman righty Hunter Hamlin (Mansfield) faced three batters in the eighth in his first collegiate appearance, hitting one batter who was thrown out stealing by junior catcher Tim Budd (Cheshire).
Eastern visits Stevens Tech Sunday at noon.
