Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
YAPHANK, N.Y. – Batting ninth in the order, senior infielder Emmanuel Zaiter (Miami, FL) drove in four runs with two home runs in Eastern Connecticut State University's 17-hit attack as the Warriors gained a split of a season-opening non-conference baseball doubleheader with a 14-7 victory over Alfred State College Saturday afternoon at Baseball Heaven.

In the first game, senior righty Ryan Bailey (2-1) tossed a complete-game five-hitter with six strikeouts and no walks in Alfred's (5-3) 8-1 victory. Bailey got 19 of his outs on ground balls, allowing as many as two hits in an inning only once when the Warriors pushed across their run on a one-out hustle double (Eastern's only extra-base hit) by senior outfielder Josh Cofrancesco (Southington) and sophomore DH Ian Moser's (Bellingham, MA) opposite field single to right. Five players managed  one hit each.

Game 2

Getting four RBI from both Zaiter and senior shortstop Preston [Irby] Cosme-Cruz (Bridgeport), Eastern raked six Alfred pitchers for its 17 hits – nine of them for extra bases. The Warriors scored six runs in the top of the second on five hits and back-to-back infield errors (that led to six unearned runs) and added three more in the third to move into the middle innings with a 9-2 lead.

The Warriors batted around in that second inning, with Zaiter unloading a three-run home run to left on the first pitch that he saw this spring. Cosme-Cruz' three-run blast made it 9-2 in the third and Zaiter added his second home run on a 1-1 pitch leading off the sixth. Cosme-Cruz and Zaitner each had two hits, four RBI and two runs scored, with Zaiter reaching three times.

Senior infielder Michael Hernandez (Bridgeport), a first-year Division I transfer –was one of six Eastern players with multiple hits. Hernandez had a pair of RBI doubles and also singled in a two-run ninth inning which began with a leadoff home run from senior centerfielder Ray Leonzi (Trumbull), who reached three times with two hits and a walk, scored three runs and drove in two.

Senior lefty Dan Driscoll (Waterford) pitched into the fourth inning as the first of five Eastern pitchers and was credited with the win. First-year senior righty transfer Alex Mach (Rockfall) and newcomer righty Justin Hernandez (Corona, NY) saw their first Eastern appearances in relief. As the fourth Eastern pitcher, senior righty Tyler Rice (Berlin) got three of his four outs on strikeouts without allowing a baserunner. With a runner on second and four runs in in Alfred's four-run seventh inning, Rice ended the threat by getting a ground ball to the right side on his second pitch before striking out the side in the eighth.
 
Game 1

In his first start and appearance at Eastern, senior lefty Francis Ferguson (Holden, MA) – a second team ABCA All-America utility player at Eastern Nazarene College in 2023 – pitched into the fifth inning and was saddled with the loss. Ferguson was charged with three earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk and left on the wrong end of a 2-1 score.

Sophomore first baseman Zach Young's third home run of the season  with two out in the fourth gave the Pioneers the lead for good and Ferguson was charged with Alfred's third run when graduate righty Nathan Furino (East Haven) allowed a  two-out single to the second batter that he faced after taking over for Ferguson -- senior third baseman Elijah Barinas.

As the fourth of four pitchers, junior righty Brendan Kelly (Farmington) closed out the game by getting a fly ball on a sacrifice fly and two strikeouts in his second career appearance.

Beginning Tuesday at Mitchell College, Eastern is scheduled to play five road games in nine days leading up to a five games in Florida during spring break.  The Warriors are scheduled to open at home March 22 with a Little East Conference doubleheader against Plymouth State University at noon.