DANBURY, Conn. - Freshman Ryan Vallie (East Haven, Conn.) went 4-for-6 with two runs, including the game-winner, an RBI, and a walk to lead the Western Connecticut State University Wolves to a 19-9 win over the visiting Rhode Island College Anchormen in Little East Conference (LEC) baseball action this afternoon at Westside Field. WestConn stops a seven-game losing skid and improve to 5-22 overall and 1-12 in the Little East.  Rhode Island College falls to 13-14 overall and 3-8 in the league.  The Wolves will host Wesleyan tomorrow at 4 p.m.

WestConn pounded 22 hits and took advantage of six errors, seven walks, and three hit batsmen by the Anchormen to achieve their highest run total since the 2023 season opener against Yeshiva (19-1).  The Wolves trailed several times early including the first frame when senior 2B Jesse Dunn (Bedford, N.Y.) led off the bottom half with a double and scored on an RBI single by classmate Stanley Roman (Danbury, Conn.) to tie the game after the Anchormen scored a run in the top of the first. Rhode Island College scored twice more in the second inning, followed by one run by the Wolves in the third on a single by junior Nick Moeller (Mahopac, N.Y.) and an RBI single by rookie 1B Thomas Keough (Farmington, Conn.).

The visitors put up five runs in the top of the fifth to take an 8-2 lead but the Wolves answered with four runs in the home half of the inning.  Dunn and junior OF Peter Coniglio (New Milford, Conn.) both had two-out, two-run singles in the inning.  After a scoreless top of the sixth for Rhode Island College with WestConn freshman Brian Mansfield (Lynbrook, N.Y.) on the mound in relief, the Wolves broke the game open with seven runs in the bottom of the inning.  The Wolves batted around, got six hits in the inning, and scored three runs in a row on bases-loaded walks or HBPs. 

Coniglio added a two-run single in the seventh and left the Anchormen on the field with a run-scoring hit in the eighth for his sixth RBI of the game that activated a 10-run mercy rule.  Mansfield allowed one hit in 2.1 innings to collect his first career win, and sophomore Kenneth Firlings (Middletown, R.I.) added a perfect eighth frame.  Dunn, Coniglio and Roman each had three hits and rookie Bryan Birkl (Farmingdale, N.Y.) had two hits and scored four runs.  Jake Randall, one of six Anchormen pitchers, took the loss to fall to 1-3.  Dan Trzepacz and Cameron Early homered for Rhode Island College.