Box Score
NEWPORT, R.I. – Senior lefty Francis Ferguson (Holden, MA) pitched six shutout innings for his first win in an Eastern Connecticut State University uniform and senior righty Matthew Wootton  (Milford) gained his second save in his last three appearances as the Warriors trimmed No. 8 nationally-ranked Salve Regina University, 5-4, in a non-conference baseball game Thursday afternoon at Reynolds Field.
 
The win is the fourth straight and seventh in the last eight outings for Eastern (11-4) while Salve (12-4) had a three-game winning streak stopped. A year ago at the Eastern Baseball Stadium, Eastern rallied for a 6-3 win that ended a 13-game winning streak for the Seahawks, who were also ranked eighth nationally at the time. Salve reached last year's national semifinals, finishing 40-10.
 
Ferguson (1-1), who earned All-America honors at the utility position in 2023 at Eastern Nazarene College, allowed only two hits in his second start (first since opening day nearly a month ago) while fanning six and walking two and left with a 4-0 lead after six innings. The Warriors upped the lead to 5-0 on senior Nick Montagna's (Carmel, NY) two-out single that scored sophomore Ian Moser (Bellingham, MA) before the Seahawks scored three times in the bottom of the seventh and once in the bottom of the ninth before Wootton, last week's Little East Conference Pitcher-of-the-Week, stranded the tying run at third with a game-ending swinging strikeout of No. 3 hitter Evan O'Rourke.
 
Eastern's three pitchers did not allow an earned run. Wootton, who has not allowed an earned run in his last 9 2/3 innings over his last four appearances, gave up just one hit while striking out two and walking two. Salve scored its three runs in the seventh after there were two out and none on and scored them without the aid of a hit, with two Eastern errors, two hit-by-pitch, and a walk paving the way for the three runs.
 
Ferguson did not allow a hit and only one baserunner over his final three innings after stranding two in the first and two in the third.
 
Senior catcher Hank Penders (Wethersfield) drove in Eastern's first two runs with a first-inning RBI single and a second-inning sacrifice fly. Leading 3-0, the Warriors added another run in the fourth on senior Alejandro Soriano's ( Hartford) RBI single and made it 5-0 in the seventh on Montagna's single.
 
Senior centerfielder and leadoff hitter Ray Leonzi (Trumbull) reached three times with two hits and a walk, Montagna, batting ninth, had three hits, scored once and drove in a run,  Penders had two hits and two RBI and Soriano two hits, a walk and RBI.
 
The Seahawks brought a .335 team batting average into the contest (with Eastern at .329). None of the five Salve pitchers who have pitched double-figure innings this year saw time, with the five who saw action Thursday having combined for only 17 1/3 innings and recording only one win this year. Freshman Noah Fitzgerald made his first career start against Eastern, facing only five batters and giving up two hits and two walks and the Warriors' first run before departing.
 
Soriano has reached base in all 15 games this year and Leonzi at least once in the last 14 contests. Penders extended his hitting streak to nine and Soriano to eight.
 
Eastern hosts VTSU Castleton (3-13, 0-2 LEC) Friday in a 2 p.m. Little East Conference doubleheader at the Eastern Baseball Stadium. The Warriors have won the last 11 meetings with the Spartans and own a 14-1 record all-time against Castleton.