PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior All-America centerfielder Alex Zachary (Enfield) opened the top of the seventh inning with a bunt single and came around to score the tying run, then drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth as the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team trimmed Johnson & Wales University, 5-4, Sunday afternoon.

In winning its first northern game after an opening loss, Eastern (7-3) left four runners aboard when it scored single runs in the first and second and had to rally in the late innings to subdue Johnson & Wales (4-5) in the first meeting ever between the programs.

Eastern tied the game, 3-3, with a run in the seventh when Zachary opened with a bunt single, stole second without drawing a throw, moved to third on sophomore first baseman Alex Parkos' (Meriden) infield ground ball, and came across on senior rightfielder Pat Sirois' (Cromwell) ground ball to short.

The Warriors took a 5-3 lead in the eighth, loading the bases on senior second baseman Christian Budzik's (Cromwell) one-out single, sophomore shortstop Cory Baldwin's (Cromwell) infield ground ball and a walk to freshman DH John Mesagno (Tappan, NY). Zachary was then walked to force in the go-ahead run and Parkos made it 5-3 with a sacrifice fly to center.

Sophomore lefty Nick Rascati (Wallingford) won his first decision of the year by pitching the final three innings in relief of sophomore righty Jordan Muchin (West Hartford). Rascati faced only seven batters in the seventh and eighth but allowed a walk and two singles in the ninth, when the Wildcats pushed across a run. With two out and the tying run on third, Rascati got a ground ball to Budzik to end the game.

Sophomore leftfielder Alexander White (West Hartford) reached four times with four walks, with Baldwin and Mesagno – batting 1-2 in the order – each had two hits and a walk, with Baldwin scoring twice and Mesagno driving in a second-inning run with two out which gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead. Parkos also had two hits in Eastern's ten-hit attack and drove in a run with his eighth-inning sac fly.

Eastern had three hits in both the first and second innings but managed only two runs (White walking with the bases loaded for the first-inning run), and te Wildcats took their only lead, 3-2, with three runs in the third on three hits and an infield error.

Muchin pitched the first six innings without a decision, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while fanning six and walking two, leaving on the short end of a 3-2 score. 

Eastern visits Wesleyan University Wednesday at 4 p.m.