By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Eastern Connecticut scored three early runs survived a late push by LaGrange as the Warriors advanced into the bracket two final with a 4-3 win over LaGrange in game eight of the 2022 D-III World Series on Saturday, June 4.

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Zach Donahue had the big hit for the Eastern Connecticut Warriors as he was 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. Eastern Connecticut will face the LaGrange/Trinity (Texas) winner in a 7:45 CT scheduled start.

Zach Donahue fist pumps the third base coach after driving in two runs to take an early lead over LaGrange. Photo by Doug Sasse d3photography.com

LaGrange spotted the Eastern Connecticut three runs in the second. With one out on the board, Noah Plantamuro singled to right and was advanced to second when Jason Claiborn walked. Zach Donahue had the big hit in the inning as the Panther left fielder Gabriel Pallo took the wrong route to his fly ball and it fell past his reach and rolled to the wall. By the time it was gathered in and back to the infield, two runs had scored and Donahue was sliding into third. A sac fly by Ryan Bagdasarian plated Donahue for the final run of the inning.

LaGrange starter, Dalton Brooks, settled down after the Donahue hit to retire the next eight batters. Meanwhile Eastern Connecticut's Tommy Beninicaso only faced one over the minimum in his first three innings.

The heart of the order for LaGrange came up in the fourth. McKinley Erves and Joe Ruth each hit singles and Jack Layrisson walk to load the bases with no outs. Beninicaso responded with two strikeouts and a fly out to end the threat and strand three to keep the lead intact at 3-0.

It was a deja vu moment for the next half inning as the Warriors loaded the bases with no outs and failed to score.

Eastern Connecticut broke up the string of goose eggs with a run in the seventh. With Bagdasarian and Luke Broadhurst on base with infield singles, Matt Malcom's pop up was fielded by the first baseman in shallow right. Bagdasarian tagged and advanced to third. When the throw from the first baseman skipped past the third baseman, Bagdasarian continued home for the Warrior's fourth run of the game.

LaGrange got two runs in the seventh. Jared Aldridge singled to short and after Rhett Herbet appeared to be hit by a pitch moved to second. The umps went to the tape and deteremined that Herbert moved into he pitch and was rung up. Four straight singles followed starting with Pallo, Rhett Mixon, Erves and Ruth scored three Panther runs. Layrisson  struckout to end the threat, leaving two on base and the Warriors holding on to a 4-3 lead.

LaGrange falls into the losers’ bracket and will face Trinity (Texas) in a game scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m. CT on Sunday.