MANSFIELD, Conn. – A three-run home run by graduate outfielder John Mesagno (Tappan, NY) in the first inning set the tone for Eastern Connecticut State University Baseball as it defeated Salve Regina University, 9-5, at Eastern Baseball Stadium on Thursday night.

The rest of the Warriors' (26-2) offensive charge against the Seahawks (16-9-2) was led by senior third baseman Luke Broadhurst (Stafford) who fell a home run short of the cycle with his 4-for-5 game, driving in two runs. Senior outfielder Ryan Bagdasarian (Glastonbury) tacked on two RBIs of his own with a 3-for-5 game while scoring twice and stealing a base.

Back-to-back singles by Bagdasarian and Broadhurst with one out in the first inning gave way for a three-run home run by Mesagno, his sixth home run of the season, off junior pitcher Graham Jeffries to give the Warriors an early 3-0 lead. Eastern has now scored runs in the first inning in each of the last four games.

A Warrior error in the top of the second and an RBI groundout by junior second baseman Brent Cosculluela (Miami, FL) in the bottom half of the inning allowed both teams to exchange runs, helping Eastern maintain their three-run lead, 4-1. Senior outfielder Jack Rich extended the Warrior lead to four in the third with an RBI single to right field before a double by graduate shortstop Dustin Siquiera cut the Salve Regina deficit back to three, 5-2.

Four unanswered runs by Eastern between the fourth and sixth innings allowed them to take control of the game when a Broadhurst two-RBI double and Bagdasarian two-RBI single allowed the Warriors to pull ahead by seven runs, 9-2. Not going quietly into the night, the Seahawks mounted a three-run seventh inning starting with a solo home run from junior first baseman Tyler Cannoe and back-to-back singles ending graduate pitcher Tommy Benincaso's (Norwalk) day after 6 1/3 innings.

After a two-RBI single from sophomore outfielder Brandon Grover off of graduate right-handed reliever Jack Wallace (Winthrop, MA) cutting the Eastern lead down to 9-5, Benincaso's line closed with the right-hander giving up five runs on 10 hits while striking out three and walking none in his third win of the season.

After escaping the seventh inning, first-year right-handed reliever Griffin Pontbriant (Bozrah) closed out the final two innings. After allowing a leadoff walk in the eighth, Pontbriant would retire junior outfielder Matt D'Amato with a strikeout and get junior pinch-hitter Justice Welch to ground into a double play. Working a scoreless ninth inning, the Bozrah native closed out Eastern's 9-5 victory which was their 14^th consecutive win and fourth of the week.

The 14-game winning streak is the longest since 2009 when the Warriors won 14 consecutive games between April 17th and May 9th of that season. 

With his line-drive single to right field in the third inning, Jack Rich, who started the game in right field, extended his hitting streak to 10 consecutive games.
 
Eastern will square off against Rhode Island College in a pivotal Little East Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Eastern Baseball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for Noon. The Anchormen (7-1 LEC) currently sits in third place in the conference, trailing the Warriors (10-0 LEC) by one game in the loss column and UMass Boston (8-0 LEC) by one game based on overall record. Eastern took three of the four matchups against Rhode Island College during the 2021 season.