NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Sophomore lefty transfer Justin Marks (Beacon Falls) won his second straight start with a five-hitter over the first six innings and freshman transfer shortstop Teige Kimbler (Albany, NY) drove in his first career run in his first start that powered the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team to its 11th straight win, 7-3, over WPI Friday afternoon at the New England Baseball Complex.
Six hitters each drove in a run and four collected two hits for Eastern (12-5), ranked fourth in New England. The Warriors have not lost since starting the season with a 1-5 record. WPI (10-7) lost for the fourth straight game and is 3-7 since opening the year with seven straight wins.
Eastern never trailed in the game, scoring four runs in the middle three innings to snap a 1-1 tie. Marks (2-0) and senior righties Nathan Furino (East Haven) and Finn Doherty (Milton, MA) combined on a seven-hitter with 11 strikeouts and one walk. Marks fanned eight and walked one. Furino and Doherty threw 25 of their 35 pitches for strikes.
In his 50th career appearance, Furino allowed one hit with a strikeout in his two-inning stint, and Doherty fanned two and gave up a hit in closing out the game in the ninth.
All three of the Engineers runs came on two home runs off Marks – the first leading off the bottom of the first and the second a two-run drive in the sixth that cut Eastern's lead to 5-3.
Leading 5-3, Eastern tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth when Kimbler singled with one out, moved up when junior second baseman Emmanuel Zaiter (Miami, FL) walked, and senior rightfielder Jason Claiborn (Prospect) singled in the first run. An error on a failed pickoff attempt later sent Zaiter home with the second run.
Batting leadoff for the first time, senior DH Alejandro Soriano (Hartford) led off the game with a single and later scored the first run on senior first baseman Ryan Parent's (Southington) ground ball.
Soriano, junior centerfielder Ray Leonzi (Trumbull), Kimbler and Claiborn all had two hits in Eastern's ten-hit attack off three WPI pitchers. Kimbler and Claiborn both reached three times in the game, Claiborn also recording two of the team's five stolen bases.
Eastern (2-0 LEC) hosts Plymouth State University (2-6, 0-0 LEC) Saturday in a Little East Conference noon doubleheader at Dunkin' Park, home of the Class AA Hartford Yard Goats.