PROVIDENCE, R.I. --  Pat Sirois (Cromwell) was 5-for-5 in a first game victory on the way to an eight-hit afternoon as the Eastern Connecticut State University  baseball team split a Little East Conference doubleheader with Rhode Island College Sunday afternoon at Pontarelli Field.

In the first game, freshman John Mesagno (Tappan, NY) had three hits and scored three runs and No. 9 hitter Merlyn Herrera (La Yaquiza, DR) drove in three runs with two hits and righty Jordan Muchin  (West Hartford) struck out seven through eight innings in the Warriors' 9-2 victory. 

Muchin (4-2) allowed nine hits and both runs in the first game, walking only one. Leading 2-0, Eastern scored twice in the fifth on an RBI double by Alex Parkos (Meriden) and run-scoring single by Sirois.

In the second game, Eastern (14-12, 4-5 LEC) scratched back from an eight-run deficit by scoring five runs in the eighth, but Rhode Island (13-15, 2-7 LEC) scored 11 runs in the middle innings and held on to snap a six-game losing streak with a 13-9 win. 

Eastern commited five errors in the second game, two coming when Rhode Island tied the game 3-3 on a bases-clearing double by Nate Cohoone. Leading 6-3, the Anchormen added five runs in the sixth when they batted around with the help of five hits, an error, and a walk.

Eastern collected 32 hits on the day, with all eight of Sirois' singles. Mesagno reached base eight times with six hits, a walk and hit-by-pitch and scored four runs, and Alexander White (West Hartford) had four hits –including his third home run of the season – drove in five runs and scored two. 

All-America senior centerfield Alex Zachary (Enfield) recorded his 100^th hit in his 67^th game at Eastern with a single in the first game.

Eastern hosts Western Connecticut State University Tuesday at 4 p.m. in a Little East Conference game.