Box Score LEESBURG, Fla. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth on four hits to overcome a one-run deficit and went on to a 7-4 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Friday afternoon at Pat Thomas Stadium.
In the first meeting between the programs, UW-Platteville (5-3) collected 13 hits off two Eastern (4-2) pitchers, with two of its three extra-base hits coming in the three-run sixth. No. 3 hitter Colin DeBoer and cleanup batter Josh Moses opened the sixth with doubles off Eastern sophomore righty starter Jordan Muchin (West Hartford) to tie the game at four, and Kyle Reinhart recorded the third straight hit of the inning to put runners on the corners. With one out, Max Meitzler singled in the go-ahead run and facing new pitcher Sam Gagnon (Andover), Collin Morma bounced into a fielder's choice to give the Pioneers a 6-4 lead.
The Warriors tied the game 3-3 with two runs in the fourth on singles by freshman leftfielder John Mesagno (Tappan, NY), senior rightfielder Pat Sirois (Cromwell) and senior third baseman Christian Budzik (Cromwell) off starter and winner Lucas Keller (1-0), a senior righty, and moved into a brief one-run lead (4-3) in the top of the sixth on a leadoff double by Mesagno and suicide squeeze bunt by junior catcher Merlyn Herrera (La Yaquiza, DR).
Muchin, who went six innings five days ago to defeating NCAA qualifier Oswego State in the season-opener, allowed 11 hits but did not walk a batter and fanned three. In his second appearance, freshman righty Gagnon gave up two hits and one (unearned) run over the final 2 2/3 innings.
Mesagno led Eastern's eight-hit attack with three hits, senior All-America centerfielder Alex Zachary (Enfield) adding two singles. Zachary's two-out single in the first was his 100th collegiate hit, 72nd at Eastern. In additio to his fourth-inning RBI single, Budzik had given Eastern a 1-0 lead in the second with a sacrifice fly which plated Mesagno, who had opened with a single.
Batting leadoff, first-year sophomore shortstop Cory Baldwin (Cromwell) reached twice with a single and walk and handled ten chances in the field with just one error. Sophomore second baseman William Coleman (Northford) fielded flawlessly on eight chances.
Eastern faces UW-Oshkosh Saturday at 3 p.m. at Winter Haven.
