PURCHASE, N.Y. – Four batters into Thursday's non-conference baseball game, Eastern Connecticut State University pushed across its first – and last – run as the Warriors managed only two singles and two doubles in a 4-1 loss to Manhattanville College.

Coming off a key New England victory over MIT Monday, Eastern (7-10) was stymied by Manhattanville (11-10) righties Dennis Berardi (1-1) and Julian Ponce (first save) in falling for the fifth time in its last six outings since winning five straight.

Berard and Eastern sophomore lefty Ron Buchetto (Clinton) were making their first varsity starts, but Berardi came away with his first varsity victory. Second on the staff this year in appearances (7), Buchetto gave up the tying run in the bottom of the first on a leadoff triple and RBI single through the left side, and the Valiants went ahead for good on Robbie Lynch's two-out, solo home run in the third.

Buchetto was lifted after surrendering seven hits without a walk through four innings, and Manhattanville added two insurance runs in the sixth against freshman righty Hunter Hamlin (Mansfield). Senior lefty Matt D'Orsi (West Haven) pitched a solid 2 1/3 innings to close out the game, giving up only a leadoff single in the seventh while fanning two. Eastern's pitching trio fanned four without a walk.

The Valiants had lost four of their previous six games entering play, but Berardi made the most of his first career start (sixth appearance). The first-year pitcher cruised through the first five innings without allowing a hit and nursing a 2-1 lead. He retired the first two batters of the sixth before the Warriors loaded the bases on a double by senior rightfielder Kyle Hart (Guilford) and two walks. Ponce got an outfield fly ball to end the threat, and the junior pitched the final three scoreless innings despite giving up a hit in each: a two-out double by freshman first baseman D.J. Scavone (Auburn, MA) in the seventh, a one-out single by Hart in the eighth and a two-out single to senior second baseman Corey Keane (Tolland) in the ninth.

Eastern returns to Little East Conference action Sunday, facing the University of Massachusetts Boston in a noon doubleheader at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, MA.