MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team battled back from three runs down to tie the game in the seventh inning, but Wheaton College scored twice in the top of the eighth inning on a single, wild pitch, passed ball and infield error to post a 5-3 victory over the Warriors in a non-conference game Sunday at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

In the final home start of his career, Eastern (19-13) senior righty Sam Kosterich (Stamford) limited Wheaton (21-14) to two earned runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and only one walk before departing after a passed ball allowed leadoff batter Chris Ruocco to reach despite striking out on three pitches With one out, cleanup hitter Bryant Salkind and a wild pitch and infield error allowed both runners to score.

Trailing 5-3, Eastern loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the ninth on singles by senior third baseman Collin Russell (Sandwich, MA), and pinch hitters  Jack Rich (Meriden) and Drew Alexopoulos (Hanson, MA), but  freshman righty Patrick Arter escaped for his third save of the season with a swinging strikeout and game-ending 4-6-3 double play begun by senior second baseman Ryan McKeon.

Freshman righty Gavin Reily worked the first six innings for Wheaton, allowing only one (unearned) run on five hits and was lifted with the Lyons in front, 3-1. Reily did not figure in the decision but lowered his staff-leading ERA to 1.37.

Senior second baseman Mike Funaro (Northford) was one of three Eastern players with two hits. Funaro, who reached three times, knocked in two tying runs in the seventh with a two-out, bases-loaded single that plated Russell and junior shortstop Dale Keller (Oxford), who had reached with one out on a single and walk, respectively.

All five Eastern seniors excelled on Seniors' Day. In additon to Kosterich and Funaro, first baseman D.J. Scavone (Auburn, MA) had a hit and drove in Eastern's first run in the sixth and fielding seven balls without an error; and catcher Merlyn Herrera (La  Yaquiza, DR)  singled and threw out a runner attempting to steal second in the ninth inning. In addition to singling and scoring in the seventh, Russell got the ninth inning going with an infield single.

Eastern visits Tufts University Monday at 3 p.m. in a non-conference game.