MANSFIELD, Conn. – Freshman lefty Jacob Smith (East Longmeadow, MA) pitched a complete-game six-hitter in his first career start and sophomore shortstop Christian Budzik (Cromwell) gave Eastern Connecticut State University a lead it would not relinquish with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the second inning as the Warriors defeated Wheaton College, 4-2, Tuesday afternoon at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

Eastern (16-15) closes its home season with six wins in seven games, three of the victories over regionally-ranked teams Amherst College, Tufts University and Wheaton (24-12). Six days ago in Norton, MA, Wheaton routed Eastern, 25-3, equaling the most runs allowed by the Warriors in program history. The Warriors have won five of their last seven.

 With Eastern coming off an 11-5 victory over New England's top-ranked team (Tufts) yesterday, Smith (2-0) struck out ten in a 126-pitch, 80-strike performance against No. 4 Wheaton, a winner of four of its previous five. Smith had allowed three hits and one run in 4 1/3 relief innings to record his first career win this past Friday at Westfield State University.

In a game lasting only two hours and 13 minutes, Smith never allowed more than one hit in an inning, throwing less than a dozen pitches in four innings, and was charged with only one earned run in the game. The 6-foot-1 inch, 210 pounder threw more than 20 pitches in an inning only twice, with the Lyons scoring their runs in those innings. He stranded two runners three times in an inning.

The Warriors scored all of their runs with two out.

 After Budzik gave Eastern its 2-0 lead, Wheaton scored an unearned run in the third on a leadoff single, hit batter, walk and Smith's error attempting to pick off No. 9 hitter Jimmy Smith (Worcester, MA) at first base. The Warriors got that run back in the bottom of the inning on No. 3 hitter Chad Adams' (Ware, MA) two-out single to center before Wheaton again cut the deficit to one run when Smith walked the first two batters of the sixth and senior second baseman Justin Peluso (North Reading, MA) launched a bases loaded sacrifice fly. Smith got a swinging strikeout and infield ground ball to end the threat.

The Warriors tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Budzik was walked with one out, moved up when sophomore centerfielder Pat Sirois (Cromwell) was hit by a pitch and scored on junior DH Andrew Scully's (Stratford) hard line drive single off the glove of a leaping Wheaton third baseman Justin Silvestro.

Smith retired the first two batters of the ninth on infield ground balls and after a single by sophomore pinch hitter Thomas Landry (Hingham, MA), ended the game with a swinging strikeout on a full count.

Scully and Adams both had two hits for Eastern.

The Warriors visit Trinity College Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.