HARTFORD, Conn. – Sophomore righty Luis Vega (Willimantic) pitched a career-high six innings in his third career start to earn his first career victory as the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team won its fifth game in the last six days with a 6-5 non-conference victory over Trinity College Wednesday afternoon.

Since losing by a 5-4 score to Trinity (14-16) in the championship round of the NCAA Division III New England Regional final in 2009, Eastern (17-15) has defeated the Bantams each season since then to improve to 26-8 in the all-time series which dates back to 1983.

Three of the five runs charged to Vega (1-0)  came when freshman leftfielder Brendan Pierce slugged a three-run home run with two out in the fifth to cut Eastern's early five-run lead to 6-4. The Bantams added pulled to within a run in the sixth without the aid of a hit before three subsequent Eastern relievers held the Bantams in check the rest of the way, each pitching one inning. Junior righty Patrick O'Neill (Thomaston) did not allow a ball out of the infield in a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first career save.

Senior second baseman Corey Keane (Tolland) doubled twice, freshman first baseman D.J. Scavone (Auburn, MA) tripled and sophomore centerfielder Pat Sirois (Cromwell) hit his second career home run (first in an Eastern uniform) leading off the game. Scavone's two-run triple and Keane's RBI single chased Trinity sophomore lefty starter Chris Speer and gave Eastern a 6-1 lead in the third.

Junior DH Andrew Scully (Stratford) and Keane both had three hits in Eastern's 11-hit attack, Scully extending his hitting streak to 10 and raising his team-leading average to .363.

A winner of ten of its last 14, Eastern closes out the regular season with a Little East Conference noon doubleheader Friday at Keene State College.