HARTFORD, Conn. – Arguably one of the clutchest hitters in the program history for Eastern Connecticut State University Baseball, graduate outfielder John Mesagno (Tappan, NY) delivered once again in extra innings on Tuesday afternoon against Trinity College at Murren Family Field. After a 0-for-4 start to his day, Mesagno's no-doubt two-run home run to left field off sophomore right-hander Sam Craven put the Warriors (16-2) ahead for good in a back-and-forth game with the Bantams (8-7) en route to a 10-5 victory in 10 innings.
In recording his first hit of the game via the home run, Mesagno extended his on-base streak to 36 consecutive games which ties outfielder Alex Zachary for the second-longest streak in program history. The left-handed hitter can now set his sights on the all-time record of 50 consecutive games set by Joe Funaro back in 1994-1995.
Amidst the victory was another big day for senior catcher Matt Malcom (East Lyme) who recorded his 100th career hit in a Warrior uniform in a big way with a first-inning double that plated two and gave Eastern an early 2-0 lead. Malcom finished his day going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs, and scoring once. The East Lyme native has now recorded an RBI in six of the last seven games he has played, stands three away from tying his total from last season of 24 RBIs and is quickly approaching his career-high of 29 RBIs set in his first season.
After taking the early 2-0 lead, Eastern would relinquish the lead as back-to-back hits by way of a double from sophomore first baseman Sean Meth and single from senior outfielder Colin Mann quickly knotted the game up at two a piece in the first inning.
Trinity would go on to take the lead in the second inning as a two-run single by junior outfielder Brandon Chow with one out scored two more for the Bantams who jumped ahead 4-2 after plating four unanswered runs in the opening two innings.
Senior right-handed starter Cameron Crowley would hold the Warriors in check for the next three innings after giving up two runs early. Crowley set down eight of the next ten Eastern batters he faced, allowing just two hits before running into trouble in the fifth inning in which the Warriors would put up a three spot and retake the lead.
Senior second baseman Noah Plantamuro (Bristol) led off the inning with a hit by pitch before junior shortstop Zach Donahue (South Windsor), senior outfielder Ryan Bagdasarian (Glastonbury), and senior third baseman Luke Broadhurst (Stafford) recorded back-to-back-to-back singles which helped bring the game even at four and knock Crowley out of the game.
Earning his third RBI of the day, Malcom's one-out double would score Broadhurst and put Eastern back in front, 5-4 in the fifth inning. The Bantams responded in the sixth with a run of their own as a double from sophomore shortstop Jack Mathews off of graduate right-hander Tommy Benincaso (Norwalk) who started the game brought the game even once again.
A quiet seventh inning from both bullpens led to the Warriors manufacturing their best chance to regain the lead in the eighth inning after sophomore outfielder Josh Cofrancesco (Southington) reached on an error with one out. Sophomore first baseman Ryan Parent (Southington) followed up Cofrancesco's at-bat with a double in which the sophomore outfielder was thrown out at home for the second out of the inning.
Trinity looked to shut the door on D3Baseball's number two team in the nation in the bottom of the ninth as a towering double by Mathews off the top of the wall with one out forced head coach Brian Hamm to bring in senior right-hander Bryan Albee (Killingly) to work out of trouble. Albee proceeded to retire the next two batters he faced with a weak groundball to first for out number two and a shallow popup to Plantamuro at second base, sending the game to extra innings.
Leading off the inning with a single and then stealing second, Broadhurst put the Warriors in a position to take the lead in the 10th inning with Mesagno at the plate. Eliciting shades of his 2021 Little East Conference Tournament performance, Mesagno took Craven deep to left field for his fourth home run of the season and first hit of the day to put Eastern ahead 7-5.
The Warrior offense cranked out three more runs by way of a two-run double by senior outfielder Jack Rich (Meriden) and single from Donahue to double up Trinity, 10-5. Working a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th inning, Albee sealed the game for Eastern and earned his sixth win of the season.
After six quality innings from Tommy Benincaso in which he gave up five runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out seven and walking two, the Warrior bullpen duo of first-year right-hander Griffin Pontbriant (Bozrah) and Bryan Albee combined for three shutout innings for Eastern while giving up only two hits and striking out four.
With his 3-for-5 performance, Zach Donahue has now reached base safely in 15 consecutive games for the Warriors this season and safely in all 18 game appearances he has made with one coming via an error early in the season.
Eastern continues the season with their third game of a five-game road trip against Johnson and Wales University on Thursday afternoon at Scotts Athletics Complex in Providence, Rhode Island. First pitch is slated for 4:00 PM. The Warriors have won four consecutive games against the Wildcats, three of which came last season with Eastern pitching allowing no more than two runs in each of those contests.