Warriors pay back Seahawks, 10-1

MANSFIELD, Conn. – Sophomore righty Patrick O'Neill (Thomaston) pitched  a four-hitter over the first six innings for his first collegiate win and the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team scored at least once in five of eight innings in a 10-1 non-conference baseball victory over Salve Regina University Wednesday afternoon at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

Ranked No. 7 in New England, Eastern (10-4) has won seven of eight while Salve (12-6) has dropped three of its last four.

The run allowed by O'Neill was unearned and gave the Seahawks their only lead, 1-0, in the second inning. O'Neill scattered four singles while fanning six and walking three and hitting a batter and was backed by Eastern's 15-hit attack.

Eastern scored the only runs it would need in the second when it batted around and chased Salve Regina sophomore righty Alex Croce (Rumford, RI), who was making his first start. The Warriors scored three times in the inning on three hits. Sophomore DH Andrew Scully's (Stratford) RBI double down the left field line tied the game and he came around to score on sophomore catcher Tim Budd's (Cheshire) single to right-center to give the Warriors the lead for good, 2-1. Budd made it 3-1 on senior leadoff hitter Brendan Lynch's (Wethersfield) two-out double to left-center.

Scully's three hits paced Eastern, with Lynch, senior Mike Vaccarelli (Wolcott), junior rightfielder Kyle Hart (Guilford) and Budd all contributing two hits. Vaccarelli and Hart scored twice. Eight different hitters drove in at least one run.

Sophomore leadoff hitter Ryan Kelly (Waldwick, NJ) had two of Salve Regina's seven hits and drove in its run in the second with a single to third base.

Eastern hosts Keene State College in a Little East Conference noon doubleheader; Salve Regina, which bested the Warriors 7-6 in Mansfield last year, welcomes Nichols College to Newport for a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader on Saturday (12 p.m.).