GORHAM, Maine – Junior righty Patrick O'Neill (Thomaston) pitched a terrific game after allowing two home runs in the first two innings, but No. 2-seeded University of Massachusetts Dartmouth scored four runs in the seventh inning to down Eastern Connecticut State University, 7-4, in the opening round of the 2015 Little East Conference Tournament Wednesday afternoon at the USM Baseball Stadium on the campus of the University of Southern Maine.

At right: Corey Keane is congratulated by head coach Matt LaBranche after his leadoff home run in the fourth inning got the Warriors on the board in the first round of the Little East Conference Tournament Wednesday afternoon.

Last year's tournament champion, No. 5 seed Eastern (19-16) lost for the first time since dropping a 6-2 decision to UMass Dartmouth (24-15) in the first game of a regular-season LEC doubleheader April 25 at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

 Eastern, which defeated UMass Dartmouth in last year's winners' bracket final, hopes to remain alive in the six-team, double-elimination tournament when it meets sixth-seeded Western Connecticut State University (17-21) Thursday at 9:30 a.m. The Colonials dropped a 5-3 decision to top-ranked Southern Maine in Wednesday's first game.. Eastern defeated Western in single games this year, 12-7 and 9-0. UMass Dartmouth is ranked tenth in New England.

O'Neill (2-6) handcuffed the Corsairs after surrendering a two-run home run to No. 3 hitter George Agostini on a 3-2 pitch in the first and a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the second inning to Alex Newton. After Newton's homer, O'Neill did not allow another hit and only two baserunners and carried a 4-3 lead into the seventh.

In the seventh, O'Neill retired the first two batters on infield ground balls before walking No. 8 and No. 9 hitters Ben Monteiro and Josh O'Neill and being lifted in favor of senior lefty Matt D'Orsi (West Hartford). Left-hitting leadoff hitter Ryan Medeiros tied the game wi th a two-strike opposite-field single to left and No. 2 hitter Nate Farias singled in the go-ahead and insurance run by stroking a two-strike single to center. All three baserunners and Farias scored on the play on an outfield error.

At right: After giving up two home runs in the first two innings, Patrick O'Neill (at right) didn't allow another hit before being lifted with two out and two on in the seventh inning.

UMass junior righty Steve Colella limited Eastern to just two hits through the first three innings and took a 3-0 lead into the third before the Warriors scored twice on a leadoff home run by senior second baseman Corey Keane (Tolland) and a sacrifice fly by No. 9 hitter Tim Budd (Cheshire).

With O'Neill continuing to mow down the Corsairs, Eastern tied the game in the sixth on Budd's two-out RBI double which plated senior centerfielder Joe Perez (North Branford) and took its first and only lead in the seventh off sophomore righty reliever Sean Callahan. With two out and none on, Keane and senior rightfielder Kyle Hart's (Guilford) recorded back-to-back doubles, Keane's coming on an 0-2 pitch and Hart on a full count.

O'Neill scattered three hits and walked three with two strikeouts. He was charged with five runs. Keane was Eastern's only player with more than one hit, collecting three. The top four hitters in the lineup went 1-for-15 with six strikeouts.