RINDGE, N.H. - Third-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University defeated second-seeded UMass Boston the fifth-seeded Rhode Island College in a pair of elimination games to head to the title round of the 2025 Little East Conference Baseball Championship Tournament. The will play top-seeded and host Keene State College Sunday at 11 a.m. at Franklin Piece University’s Pappas Field.
No. 3 Eastern Connecticut 9, No. 2 UMass Boston 5 - Box Score
The Warriors built a commanding 8-3 lead on Friday morning before inclement weather forced the game to be halted and resumed Saturday. Eastern Connecticut scored the first four runs of the game over the first two innings. Alejandro Soriano drove in Preston Cosme-Cruz in the top of the first with a single up the middle to open the scoring. Ray Leonzo later drove in a Emmanuel Zaiter and Ian Moser with a double down the right field line in the top of the second before heading home himself on a Hank Penders’ double to right
It was a 5-3 contest after UMass Boston put up a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Mike Meagher worked a bases-loaded walk to push Jack Levine home before Nick Farnacci beat a throw home on a ball put in play by Elliott Miles.
The Warriors responded by scoring two runs in the top of the fifth on J.T. Clark’s single to right and then grew their lead to 8-3 in the sixth on Soriano’s double down the right field line, just before the game would be halted in the bottom of the frame.
Soriano opened the scoring once the game resumed with a solo homer that gave the Warriors a 9-3 lead in the top of the eighth before the Beacons put up a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth for the 9-5 final.
Mike Furgalack was credited with the win for Eastern after striking out two batters in two scoreless innings of relief. Starter Alex Mach did not factor in the decision after allowing three runs six hits with five Ks over the first 3.2 innings. Max Moss took the loss for UMass Boston after allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in his three innings on the mound.
No. 3 Eastern Connecticut 13, No. 5 Rhode Island College 3 (8 innings) - Box Score
The Warriors’ bats stayed hot heading into the second game of the day, putting up the first eight runs of the contest on their way to the run-rule victory. Cosme-Cruz drove in four of those runs; his double to left in the top of the fourth plated Leonzi and Penders and he launched a two-run blast in the sixth that also scored Penders to make it 8-0.
Dylan Jackson hit a three-run bomb in the seventh that put the Warriors up 11-2, and Josh Cofrancesco drove Cosme-Cruz and Soriano with his single up the middle in the eighth for the 13-3 final.
Two of RIC’s three runs were scored in the bottom of the sixth. Lucas McLeroy scored from third on Justin Wardwell’s ground out that advanced Parker Camelo to third. Camelo then headed home on Daniel Trzepacz’s ground out. Cal Parillo’s solo blast in the seventh accounted for the third Anchormen run.
Nathan Furino went the distance on the hill to earn the decision for Eastern Connecticut, allowing three runs on eight hits with nine Ks as he improved to 5-1. Stephen Sullivan was tagged with the loss for RIC after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in his 1.2 innings, leveling his record at 3-3.