WINTER HAVEN --  Sophomore righty Jordan Muchin (West Hartford) pitched effectively against nationally-ranked Oswego State for the second time in as many career starts and senior leadoff hitter Pat Sirois (Cromwell) recorded the second four-hit day of his career as the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team opened the 2017 season with an 11-6 victory Sunday morning at Chain O' Lakes Park.

The loss is the first after a six-game winning streak for No. 17 nationally-ranked Oswego (8-3), which had spoiled Muchin's strong seven-inning, five-hit performance in a 3-2 win over Eastern in the opening round of the 2016 NCAA Division III tournament at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

Muchin, who did not allow an earned run and did not figure in the decision in his final start last year against Oswego – which was ranked as high as No.3 nationally in 2016 --  outdueled Oswego sophomore lefty Brian Nolan, who had pitched a complete-game shutout late in last year's regional tournament. Muchin allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits with three strikeouts and just one walk in six full innings Sunday, departing with a 10-5 lead en route to his sixth career win in seven decisions.  

Eastern roughed up Nolan and four subsequent relievers for 15 hits. Ten of the team's runs came in three consecutive innings beginning in the third, with a five-run fourth snapping a tie and putting Eastern in front for good, 7-2.

Eastern chased Nolan (1-1) when it scored its five runs in the fourth on six hits, three of the hits coming on doubles by junior first baseman D.J. Scavone (Auburn, MA), junior third baseman Collin Russell (Sandwich, MA) and senior All-America centerfielder Alex Zachary (Enfield). Russell's RBI double was his first career extra-base hit and followed Scavone's leadoff double. Junior catcher Merlyn Herrera (La Yaquiza, DR) followed the opening doubles with an RBI single. Sirois did likewise after there was one out and Zachary's two-out double and sophomore DH Alex Parkos's (Meriden) RBI single closed out the scoring.

Sirois finished 4-for-5 with three runs and the fourth-inning RBI and four outfield putouts. Parkos was 3-for-5 with four RBI, driving in runs with RBI singles in the third, fourth and fifth. Zachary reached four times with two doubles and two walks, drove in two runs and scored two. In his last seven games dating back to last year -- when he was MVP of the Little East Conference tournament -- Parkos is 15-for-31 (.484).

Eastern faces Endicott College Monday at 9:15 a.m. at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale.