Box Score
NEW LONDON – The Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team batted around, scoring  five runs in the top of the fourth inning – highlighted by senior third baseman Nick Montagna's (Carmel, NY) grand slam – to break open a tight game en route to an 18-6 non-conference seven-inning victory over Mitchell College Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Field.

Eastern (2-1) collected 11 hits off the first two Mitchell (2-3) pitchers to build an 8-0 lead after its first three at bats, and after the Mariners countered by scoring what would be all six of its runs and four of its seven hits in the bottom of the third inning, Eastern sent ten batters to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring five runs on four hits to move out to a 13-6 lead.

In that fourth inning, Eastern loaded the bases when sophomore rightfielder Ian Moser (Bellingham, MA) and senior first baseman Emmanuel Zaiter (Miami, FL) singled around a one-out walk to senior second baseman Preston [Irby] Cosme-Cruz (Bridgeport), setting up Montagna's first career extra-base hit – a shot to left-center field – as the No. 9 batter in the lineup.

The Warriors collected 12 hits and 14 runs in 4+ innings off Mitchell junior righty starter Jacob Quiles (0-1) and sophomore righty reliever Ethan Chavez, totalling 17 hits for the second straight game after being held to five in an opening 8-1 loss to Alfred State College Saturday at Baseball Heaven.

Nine Eastern players had at least one hit, ten scored at least once and seven drove in at least one run.

Zaiter, Moser and senior leftfielder Alejandro Soriano (Hartford) all had three hits and combined to drive in eight runs and score six . Montagna, a second-year Division I transfer, finished with two hits and two runs. In their first career games, first-year catcher Sean Fallon (Bethel) and first-year shortstop Cameron Forte (Easton) had their first hits. Fallon singled in his first at-bat in the five-run fourth and later doubled and scored ahead of Forte's two-run pinch home run that came in his first at-bat with one out in the seventh inning

The second of four pitchers, second-year senior transfer Tiernan Powers (Haddam Neck) was credited with his first win with two hitless innings. Power fanned two and walked one after starting the fourth inning in place of starter Nathan Furino (East Haven). In his first varsity appearance, first-year righty Stephen Rickert (Williston, VT) pitched a scoreless sixth inning, fanning one and allowing a one-out single through the right side.

Eastern visits Tufts University in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday at noon at Sol Gittleman Park. The Jumbos, 25-16 last year and a conference tournament finalist, open their season Wednesday against visiting Brandeis University. The Warriors and Jumbos split a pair last March at Tufts, winning the first game, 5-2, when righty starter Matthew Wootton (Milford) tossed six shutout innings centerfielder Ray Leonzi (Trumbull) drove in four runs with a pair of two-run home run. Tufts won the nightcap, 5-1.