AUBURNDALE, Fla. –With a large number of newcomers still acclimating themselves to the program, it may be debatable if the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team can be yet considered as a Top 10 team in Division III. Based on Thursday afternoon's performance, the Warriors may not be very far away.

At Lake Myrtle Park, No. 4 nationally-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (6-0) was forced to come from behind twice to defeat the Warriors, 4-3 in ten innings.

Trailing by two runs early, Whitewater finally tied the game with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning and later scored the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the tenth to remain undefeated.

Owning a .382 team batting average, Whitewater managed only six hits off three Eastern (8-3) pitchers but rallied for the win after a hit batter began both the ninth and tenth innings.

Austin Jones' sacrifice fly in the ninth tied the score, 2-2, and after the Warriors surged ahead with a run in the tenth, the Warhawks scored twice in the tenth, ending the game on Daytona Bryden's one-out single. Whitewater had tied the game in the tenth on pinch hitter Hayden Fenner's infield ground ball.

At left: Jordan Muchin preserved Eastern's 2-1 lead by striking out the side after being called upon with runners on the corners in the seventh inning. He has 12 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings this season.

Junior lefty Ron Buchetto (Clinton) and righty relievers Jordan Muchin (West Hartford) and Sam Kosterich (Stamford) stymied Whitewater, which averages 13.6 hits per game, but the Warriors failed to executive and ran themselves out of two innings. Kosterich (0-1) was denied his fifth save of the season after being charged with Whitewater's final three runs.

Buchetto pitched into the seventh inning before cramping up. He left with runners on the corners and none out and the Warriors leading, 2-1. The 6-foot-2, 210 pound Muchin preserved the lead by striking out the side, and pitching a scoreless eighth before turning the ball over to Kosterich to start the ninth.

After the Warhawks scratched through for the tying run against Kosterich in the ninth, the Warriors regained a 3-2 lead by scoring an unearned a run in the top of the tenth on a bunt single by junior rightfielder Pat Sirois (Cromwell), an infield throwing error, and freshman leftfielder Alexander White's (West Hartford) two-out double to right.

Whitewater tied and won the game with two runs in the bottom of the tenth on the opening hit-by-pitch, a balk and two hits.

The Warriors scored first with a run in the fourth on two walks and a wild pitch and another in the fifth on a leadoff walk and steal of second by senior catcher Tim Budd (Cheshire) and Sirois' sacrifice fly. Freshman Cal Aldridge's two-out solo home run in the fifth was the only run allowed by Buchetto and cut Eastern's lead in half.

Ranked fourth in New England, Eastern collected nine hits off three pitchers, with freshman second baseman Ryan Hood (Arlington, MA) recording two.

Buchetto scattered three hits while fanning four and walking four without figuring in the decision. Whitewater middle reliever John Olejniczak kept his team close by shutting out the Warriors on two hits over three innings before giving the ball to eventual winner Heath Renz.

Eastern closes out its Florida trip Friday against Elmhurst College at Lake Myrtle Park at 10:30 a.m.