Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 =
MANSFIELD, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State University turned an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the 11^th inning to avoid being walked off on its home field, and the Warriors scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 12^th inning on centerfielder Ray Leonzi's (Trumbull) RBI double for a 5-4, 12-inning Little East Conference baseball victory over Vermont State University Castleton in the first game of a doubleheader Friday at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.
 
VTSU Castleon  (4-14, 1-3 LEC) forced extra innings by scoring two tying runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Eastern's (12-5, 3-1 LEC) throwing error on a throwing error on a potential game-ending double play.
 
In the second game, Eastern managed more than one hit in just one inning as three Castleton pitchers combined on a six-hitter, and the Spartans scored all five of their runs in the third inning  six straight batters reached safely in a 5-4 victory that snapped a 12-game losing streak at the hands of Eastern.
 
Game 1
Playing as the visiting team in the doubleheader which was moved from Castleton, VT due to an unplayable field, Eastern took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning that evaporated when three walks loaded the bases and a potential game-ending doubleplay was botched, allowing the Spartans to score the tying runs.
 
With a chance to win the game, Castleton stranded six running on base in the ninth, tenth and 11^th, and trailing by 5-4 in the 12^th, left the tying run on first base. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11^th and one out, Eastern junior reliever Connor Willett (Rockfall) induced an inning-ending double play started by  late-inning replacement Dylan Jackson (Manchester) at second base.
 
In the top of the 12^th, No. 9 batter Nick Montagna (Carmel, NY) was hit by a pitch with one out, and came all the way around to score from first when Leonzi blasted a pitch into the gap for the go-ahead run.
 
In his fourth appearance of the year, junior lefty AJ Rooks (Coventry) got two quick outs and with a runner on first, got a swinging strikeout to end the game for his first save.
 
Senior lefty Dan Driscoll (Waterford) fanned 11 over the first six innings --  including the 200^th strikeout of his Eastern career – but did not figure in the decision after leaving with the game tied, 1-1. Driscoll gave up only three hits and got seven of his first nine outs via the strikeout, taking a perfect game into the fourth inning.
 
Leonzi had three hits and a walk and drove in two runs as the leadoff hitter.
 
 Game 2
Alex Bingham (1-3) and Owen Phelps combined on a six-hitter over the first seven innings and sophomore righty Nick Lescarbeau gained his first save when he retired the final six batters in order.
 
With Eastern leading 1-0 on senior catcher Hank Penders' (Wethersfield) infield ground ball that plated first-year infielder Cameron Forte (Easton) – who had reached on an infield single, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch – in the third, the Spartans pushed across all five of their runs in the bottom of the inning.
 
With one out in that Castleton third inning, six straight batters reached safely on five hits and a walk. In all, the Spartans sent 11 batters to the plate and recorded five hits, two walks, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly.
 
As two of four relief pitchers, senior righty Tiernan Powers (Haddam Neck) and senior lefty Nicholas Furino (East Haven) combined on 5 1/3 scoreless innings , allowing only one hit while fanning five and walking three. Making his fourth start, senior righty Alex Mach (Rockfall) left after pitching one scoreless inning due to injury.
 
Eastern  hosts SUNY Maritime College Tuesday at 5 p.m. in a non-conference game.