MANSFIELD, Conn. – The top four hitters in the order combined for nine hits and nine runs and drove in ten runs as the No. 2 nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team batted around in three consecutive innings and moved to within a win of its 32nd thirty-win season with a 22-2 non-conference win over Lasell University Wednesday evening at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.
Ranked No. 1 in both the New England coaches' poll and the NCAA Region II poll, Eastern (29-3) scored at least 20 runs for the fourth time this year in downing Lasell (17-18) in the first meeting between the programs.
Senior Matt Malcom (East Lyme) and graduate student John Mesagno (Tappan, NY) blasted their ninth and seventh home runs of the season, respectively, with Malcom driving in five runs with a two-run infield single in a six-run third inning and a three-run home run in a nine-run fifth. Mesagno drilled a three-run home run in the five-run fourth. The home run was the 23rd in the career of Malcom and 22nd for Mesagno.
Matthew Bischof's team-leading seventh home run of the year gave Lasell a 2-0 first-inning lead before the Warriors answered with six runs in the third on six hits, five more in the fourth on three hits and four walks and nine in the fifth on six hits and four more walks. Five Lasell pitchers allowed 17 hits and walked 12, with nine of the walks eventually scoring.
In his third start of the year, sophomore righty Nolan Lincoln (Londonderry, NH) scattered five hits and fanned five without a walk over the first five innings to record his third win in three decisions this year. Sophomore righty Kevin McIntyre (Southington) allowed one hit in two innings with four strikeouts and a walk in place of Lincoln. Sophomore lefty Robert Synodi (Hebron) and sophomore righties Jack Sobota (East Granby ) and Zion Walker (Atlanta, GA) closed it out by combining on the final two scoreless innings. It was Synodi's second career appearance and the career debut of Sobota and Walker.
Eight position players came off the bench in the game for Eastern and combined to reach base seven times on three hits and four walks, score six runs and drive in four. Sophomore outfielders Josh Cofrancesco (Southington) and Alejandro Soriano (Hartford) stroked back-to-back two-run doubles as fifth-inning pinch hitters and combined to score three runs.
Ranked sixth nationally in ERA, Eastern lowered its season mark to 3.13. The Warriors did not commit an error for the 12th time this season and have now committed one or no errors 23 times, including the last 11.
Over the next three days, Eastern plays three games with non-conference opponent Roger Williams University, ranked No. 3 in New England. The Warriors visit the Hawks Thursday at 3:30 for a single game and host them Saturday in a noon doubleheader on Senior Day.