MANSFIELD, Conn. – Senior centerfielder Alexander White (West Hartford) tripled in a run and scored in the seventh inning to provide the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team two insurance runs in a 6-3 non-conference win over Western New England University Tuesday afternoon at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

Eastern (13-13) never trailed and carried a 4-0 lead into the fifth before Western New England (17-9) closed the gap to one by scoring three times on three hits and an infield error. Senior  centerfielder Erik Lacaire  had the big blow in the inning with a two-run double.

Freshman catcher Matt Malcom (East Lyme) singled to lead off the seventh and White followed with his third hit of the day – a triple to right – to make it 5-3, and junior leftfielder John Mesagno (Tappan, NY) followed with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 6-3.

Junior righty John Parker (Brunswick, ME) earned his second win in seven decisions as the second of three Eastern pitchers, with sophomore lefty Jordan Federer (Plainfield) pitching a hitless ninth for his first career save. Parker pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of junior righty starter Jack Risley (Willimantic). He fanned three without a walk.

Batting leadoff, junior rightfielder Jake LeFevre (Mansfield Center) drove in two runs in a three-run fourth inning that that gave Eastern a 4-0 lead.  Senior first baseman Alex Parkos (Meriden) reached four times with two singles, a walk and hit-by-pitch.

Senior shortstop Alex Loparco  had three of the Golden Bear's hits with singles in each of his first three at-bats. Lacaire finished with two hits to go along with his two RBI.

Eastern had lost seven of the previous eight to the Golden Bears after winning 36 of the first 38 in the series.

Eastern visits RPI Wednesday at 4 p.m. in a non-conference game.