RINDGE, NH – When Eastern Connecticut State University Baseball senior third baseman Luke Broadhurst (Stafford) hit a two-run home run in the first inning against Plymouth State University at Pappas Field, it would be the beginning of a big day for the Stafford native. Helping lead the Warriors (14-2, 4-0 LEC) to a doubleheader sweep over the Panthers (7-13, 0-2 LEC) by final scores of 11-5 and 14-1, Broadhurst finished the day with a 4-for-6 performance with three home runs, seven RBIs, five runs scored, three walks, and three stolen bases.
 
Not far behind him was the hot hitting senior catcher Matt Malcom (East Lyme) who turned in a 3-for-6 day with two home runs and five RBIs, three runs scored, three walks, and three stolen bases. The three hits for Malcom in the doubleheader gave the East Lyme native 99 career hits across his four seasons in an Eastern uniform.
 
Junior right-hander Billy Oldham (Brookfield) made his first start in a week in game one, going seven innings while giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks to earn his fourth win of the season (4-1). Senior right-hander Bryan Albee (Killingly) made his second start of the season in game two, allowed one run on three hits across six innings of work while striking out 10 for the second consecutive start and walking two. Albee (5-0) earned his fifth win of the season and now holds a 0.73 ERA in 24 2/3 innings this season.
 
Eastern Conn. 11, Plymouth State 5
 
After the first-inning home run by Broadhurst, Malcom extended the Eastern lead to three with a solo home run to right-center in the second inning before sophomore catcher Joshua Welsh cut the Plymouth State deficit to two, 3-1, with a solo home run off Oldham. The Warriors would go on to score eight unanswered runs, including a seven-run eighth inning highlighted by back-to-back home runs from Broadhurst (two-run home run) and graduate outfielder John Mesagno (Tappan, NY) (solo home run).
 
Senior outfielder Ryan Bagdasarian (Glastonbury) singled home a run that inning while the rest of the eight unanswered runs for Eastern came via fielder's choice, wild pitch, and an error making it 11-1.
 
Plymouth State would make some noise during their final two innings at the plate as the Panthers plated four total runs starting with a single from sophomore outfielder Luke Sokolski in the eighth before adding three more runs in the ninth. Plymouth State's sophomore infielder Jackson Curtis pushed across another run with an RBI single and two other Panthers touched home by way of a hit by pitch and walk before Eastern shut the door on an 11-5 victory.
 
Eastern Conn. 14, Plymouth State 1 (F/8)
 
Matt Malcom got the scoring started for the Warriors in game two with a bases loaded RBI single to drive home Bagdasarian before sophomore outfielder Alejandro Soriano (Hartford) hit a sacrifice fly to center field, giving Eastern a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Cutting the deficit in half during the bottom of the frame, another RBI single by Sokolski brought the Panthers back within one, 2-1, before the Warriors scored 12 unanswered runs the rest of the way.
 
A sacrifice fly by Bagdasarian and the third home run of the day from Broadhurst, this time a three-run home run, helped push Eastern's lead to five, 6-1, after four innings in Rindge, New Hampshire. The second home run of the afternoon from Matt Malcom, a three-run home run, in the sixth along with a balk helped plate four more Warrior runners, giving them a 10-1 advantage.
 
As part of a 4-for-5 performance in game two, graduate first baseman Josh Tower's (Auburn, MA) eighth inning triple scored two more runs for Eastern. Tower fell a home run short of the cycle, hitting two singles, a double, and his eighth-inning triple while scoring twice and earning two RBIs.
 
Junior second baseman Brent Cosculluela (Miami, FL) hit his first home run as a Warrior in the eighth inning, a two-run home run, to put Eastern in front 14-1 which would be the final score after eight innings due to the 10-run conference mercy rule.
 
Hot Streaks
 
Reaching safely in both games of the doubleheader, John Mesagno extended his streak of reaching base safely to 35 games, moving within one of tying Alex Zachary's record of 36 consecutive games reaching base safely, the second longest streak of all time. Joe Funaro holds the record at 50 consecutive games set back in the 1994-1995 seasons.
 
Junior shortstop Zach Donahue (South Windsor) extended his streak of reaching base safely to 14 consecutive games and reached base in all 17 games he has appeared in with one of those coming by way of an error.
 
Up Next
 
The Warriors continue their road trip on Tuesday afternoon against Trinity College for a 3:30 PM start at Murren Family Field. Eastern has lost their last two matchups against the Bantams and three of the previous four head-to-heads after winning four consecutive between 2012 and 2015.