MANSFIELD, Conn. – Senior righty Josh Vincent (New London) struck out 11 batters in five innings as the starting pitcher in the first game and the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team collected 25 hits and eight extra-base hits on the day in sweeping Plymouth State University by scores of 12-0 and 18-3 in the Little East Conference openers for both teams Thursday evening at the Eastern Baseball Stadium. Both games were stopped after five innings.
 
Six different pitchers allowed only five hits and three runs with 25 strikeouts and five walks in the sweep for Eastern (5-0) and the top four hitters in the lineup – seniors Ryan Bagdasarian (Glastonbury), John Mesagno (Tappan, NY), Jack Rich (Meriden) and Luke Broadhurst (Stafford) combined for 14 hits, 19 runs scored, 12 RBI and five extra-base hits.
 
Bagdasarian reached seven hits with two hits, three walks and two hit-by-pitch, scored five runs and drove in one; Broadhurst reached seven times with five hits (two triples) and two hit-by-pitch, scored five runs and drove in two; Mesagno reached seven times with four hits (two doubles) and three walks, scored five runs and drove in five; and Rich reached seven times with three hits (one double), two walks and two hit-by-pitch, scored four runs and drove in four.
 
Eastern also benefited from 17 walks, six hit-by-pitch, five wild pitches, four errors, and two passed balls. Eastern pitchers walked only five and allowed three doubles and two singles.
 
Making his first start (second appearance) of the year, Vincent (2-0) gave up only two hits and two walks while fanning 11 over the first five innings of the first game and freshman righty Matthew Wootton (Milford) closed it out by allowing only one hit while fanning three over the final two innings in his collegiate debut.
 
In the second game, senior righty Bryan Albee (Killingly) pitched three scoreless innings in relief of junior righty starter Zach Player (East Hampton) for his first win in his first decision of the year. He allowed only one hit without a walk.
 
Freshman Mason Balmer (North Haven) had his first hit and first RBIs in his first at-bat with a pinch two-run double when Eastern sent 16 batters to the plate in the sixth inning of the second game, scoring 11 runs on five hits and with the help of six walks and three hit-by-pitch.
 
Eastern hots Plymouth (0-2) Saturday in a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader at the Eastern baseball Stadium.