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Baseball: Warriors Look to Stop a Five-Game Skid in Little East Twinibill

Team Records 
Eastern Connecticut: 20-11-1 (7-4 LEC)
Massachusetts Boston (17-16, 5-6 LEC)

Series History: 
  •  Eastern leads the all-time series, 52-19, winning the first 19 in the series dating back to 1997. The Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak against UMB with a 9-5 win in the LEC tournament last season. The Beacons swept the Warriors in their last visit here, 10-7 and 5-3, in 2024.
Recent Games:  
  •  Eastern is 5-6 at home and brings a five-game losing streak (four straight at home) into play. The team's last win and last home win came 11 days ago, 9-8, over Amherst College. The Warriors are coming off Thursday's 12-5 non-conference loss against WPI at the New England Baseball Complex.
  • UMass Boston is coming off a 13-2 home loss to No. 18 Endicott College. The Beacons have dropped five of their last seven and are 5-7 on their opponent's home field, 8-11 away from Monan Park. UMB has lost its last four LEC games, last winning in the conference in a sweep of VTSU Castleton two weeks ago.
Game Notes:
  •  While Eastern and the University of Southern Maine have primarily dominated the Little East Conference over the years, UMass Boston is the only program to win as many as three straight LEC tournament titles (2017-19).
  • Picked to finish first and fourth, respectively, in the LEC pre-season coaches poll, Eastern and UMass Boston rank 4-5 currently in the standings with three LEC games remaining for each after today.
  • After today in conference play, Eastern hosts Western Connecticut Tuesday and visits the University of Southern Maine May 1 in a doubleheader; UMass Boston hosts Southern Maine Tuesday and entertains Plymouth State University Friday in a doubleheader.
  • Southern Maine leads the LEC at 12-1, ahead of defending regular-season and conference tournament champion Keene State College (11-3 LEC). The Huskies look for their first regular-season title since before Covid (2019). That year, the Huskies hosted the LEC tournament but UMass Boston rolled to its third straight (and most recent) title.
  • UMass Boston has won or been in the championship round of five of the last eight LEC tournaments while Eastern has been to the final in three of the last four, winning back-to-back titles (in 2022 and 2023) for the third time.
  • The Beacons have gone with four primary starters this year: Cameron Fisher (4-1, 3.27 ERA), Robert Wunsch (1-2, 4.70), Ethan Nowak (4-2, 6.75) and Jonny Pagano (2-3, 6.89). Wunsch is a freshman. Owen Ellsworth, another freshman, has been one of the top relievers, having appeared in 26 1/3 innings over 12 games out of the bullpen with a 2-2 record and one save and a 4.44 ERA.
  • Five Eastern pitchers have started at least five games, with Stephen Rickert (5-2-1, 3.21) topping the staff with 42 innings over eight starts and having produced the staff's only complete game and shutout.  Justin Hernandez has totalling 11 2/3 inning in 11 appearances out of the bullpen no decisions but one save and a 4.63 ERA. First-year transfer Rob Moynihan is 3-1 with a save and staff-leading 2.20 ERA in 32 2/3 innings.
  • Ian Moser's 50 RBI, .375 average and 18 extra-base hits (nine home runs) lead Eastern, with Hank Penders at .344 with 16 extra-base hits (six home runs).
  • Eastern has hit 28 home runs and allowed only seven while UMB has managed 17 homers and allowed 16.
 
 
 
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