BALTIC – Sophomore Ethan McDaniel (Orange) and senior Matthew Orefice (Niantic) each shot 2-over on the back nine to help the Eastern Connecticut State University men's golf team to second place in its own Eastern Spring Invitational Monday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Country Club.
 
On the back nine, McDaniel recorded a birdie (on No. 18) after parring five of the first eight on the back nine, while Orefice parred seven of the nine holes on the back nine. McDaniel shared second place in the invite with a 3-over 74 while Orefice was fifth with a 6-over 77.
 
Western New England University (304 points) checked in with three of the top four scorers in helping the Golden Bears to a 12-stroke win over Eastern (316), which edged Roger Williams University by three strokes. Elms College (381) was fourth in the four-team field.
 
Freshmen Derek Johnson and  Alex Noti of Western New England led the field by posting 2-over 73 and 3-over 74, respectively, while freshman Kyle Kilmas slipped into fourth place, a stroke behind McDaniel and two strokes ahead of Orefice.
 
Junior Chris Stephenson (Colchester), playing independently, was third for Eastern, sharing seventh place with an 8-over 79.  Junior Jake Napolitan (Agawam, MA) tied for 13^th at 11-over 82, with junior Nick DiNino (Glastonbury) and senior Chris Davidson (New Milford) tied for 15^th at 12-over 83.
 
Stephenson had ten pars and also birdied the 502-yard hole at 13; Napolitan rallied from a triple bogie on No. 3 to record two birdies and nine pars over 18 holes; DiNino registered eight pars while Davidson also survived a triple bogie on No. 11 to collect a birdie and five pars on the back nine, eight pars in all.
 
Eastern closes out the spring season Saturday at the Western New England Invitational at 1 p.m. at the Country Club of Wilbraham (MA).