SOUTH HADLEY, MA/BELCHERTOWN, MA – Junior Ashton Lewis (Fairfield) blazed through the final four holes on the first day at 5-under and went on to earn medalist honors for the fourth time in as many matches this year as the Eastern Connecticut State University men's golf team placed second in an 11-team field at the Elms College Blazer Invitational this weekend.
 
Lewis shot 4-over through the first five holes on the first day Saturday at Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley, MA but caught fire with a 5-under over the final five holes to finish 1-under 71 after 18 holes. On a wind-swept Sunday at Cold Spring Country Club in Belchertown, MA, Lewis shot 5-over to post a one-stroke win over John Beskid of Amherst College. Beskid shot 3-over on Saturday and led everyone on the second day at 2-under to finish one stroke off the pace at 5-over.
 
Lewis shot 147 over 36 holes, Beskid 148 and Paari Kaviyarasu and Mark Vitels of Amherst shared third place at 150. Amherst (+31/603) bettered Eastern (+43/615) by 12 strokes to capture the team title, with Suffolk University (+66/638) third.
 
Eastern virtually locked up no worse than second place when sophomore Cal Angelo (Southington) and junior Jonah Dupuis (Hampton) shared fifth place at 9-over 152. Sophomore Chris Davidson (New Milford) was Eastern's fourth scorer. He shared 22^nd place with a 21-over 164. First-year player Nick DiNinio (Glastonbury) was Eastern's fifth finisher. He was 35-over 178 and shared 36^th place among 56 golfers.
 
In the tournament, Lewiston parred 19 holes, had five birdies and eagled the 524-yard par-5 18^th to close out the first day 5-under on the back nine, where he had five straight pars and three straight birdies before his eagle on No. 18.
 
Eastern hosts the Little East Conference Championship Thursday (10 a.m.) and Friday (9 a.m.) at Ellington Ridge Country Club.