MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Sophomore righty Brian Hnatuk (Trumbull) and senior righty Luis Vega (Willimantic) combined on an eight-hitter for Eastern Connecticut State University, but three Wesleyan University pitchers limited the Warriors to two hits, and a sixth-inning run stood up for the Cardinals in a 1-0 non-conference baseball victory Monday afternoon at Dressser Diamond.

Nick Miceli and Asher Young (2-1) carried Wesleyan (15-8) into the ninth, and Ryan Earle closed it out by getting a swinging strikeout and stranding the tying run at third base for his third save as the Cardinals defeated Eastern (12-10) for the third straight year.

Wesleyan had lost four of its previous five entering play but handed Eastern its sixth loss in the last eight games. The 1-0 verdict was the first between the schools in the 32-game history of the series.

Wesleyan scored the only run when Alec Olmstead led off with one of the seven walks issued by Hnatuck (1-2) in his six-inning stint. Olmstead then stole second, moved to third on a single and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by leadoff hitter Andrew Keith.

Eastern's only hit until sophomore leftfielder Alexander White's (West Hartford) one-out triple in the ninth came when senior rightfielder Pat Sirois (Cromwell) singled with one out in the second. Sirois then stole second with two outs, but Miceli got a swinging strikeout to end the inning.

Eastern senior centerfielder Alex Zachary (Enfield) reached twice on walks but was caught stealing in the first inning and after stealing second base with one out in the fourth, was stranded when Sirois lined out to left field.

Young pitched three hitless innings after taking over for Miceli to start the sixth. Earle escaped trouble in the ninth. White recorded his first triple of the season with one out, but was unable to score on No. 3 hitter Zachary's ground ball to second which resulted in the second out. Cleanup hitter Alex Parkos (Meriden) was hit by a pitch, but Young got a swinging strikeout to end the game.

Eastern visits Western Connecticut State University in a Little East Conference game Tuesdsay at 3:30 p.m. The Warriors defeated the Colonials in the championship game of last year's LEC tournament.