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Saturday, March 22, 2008
WARRIORS WRAP UP CALIFORNIA TRIP WITH 14-2 VICTORY
Esposito impressive in second start of season; Six CLU errors allow 12 unearned runs
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Senior righty Joe Esposito (East Haven) stopped California Lutheran University on one hit in a six-inning start and six Kingsmen errors accounted for 12 unearned runs as baseball closed out its nine-game California spring trip with a 14-2 victory Saturday at Ullman Stadium.
Esposito (1-0), making only his second start this year due to nagging injuries, allowed only one hit in his six-inning stint – a two-out double in the second inning. He fanned fanned seven and walked two in evening his career record at 11-11.
Eastern (7-5) concluded its California trip by winning four of its last five that gave it a winning (5-4) record. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Cal Lutheran (8-12-2).
Trailing 1-0, Eastern scored four runs in the third by collecting five of its 15 hits and also capitalizing on two of Cal Lutheran’s six errors. Leading 8-2, the Warriors tacked on six more runs in the eighth, despite managing only one hit in the frame. The Kingsmen were guilty of two errors in the inning and two Kingsmen pitchers walked four batters, hit one, and threw a wild pitch.
The Warriors knocked out Cal Lu starting junior righty Alex Casillas (3-4) – the team’s No. 1 starter – in the seventh inning when the first three batters reached safely on hits by junior first baseman Tristan Hobbes (Utica, NY) and senior rightfielder Jon Dalton (Standish, ME) and an Kingsmen error.
Four Eastern pitches combined on a three hitter, striking out ten and walking only two.
A total of 21 players saw action for Eastern. Hobbes led the way with three hits and two RBI, sophomore leftfielder John Parke (Middlefield) adding two this and two RBI, Dalton two hits, two runs and an RBI and sophomore shortstop Melvin Castillo (Danbury) and senior centerfielder Ismael Bolorin (Manchester) collecting two hits each and scoring a run apiece.
The meeting was the first between the programs since 1999 and the win was only Eastern’s third in the 11-game series.
Eastern visits Manhattanville College Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Eastern Conn. 14, California Lutheran U. 2
Cal Lutheran (8-12-2) 010 000 010 -- 2 3 6
Eastern Conn. (7-5) 004 020 26x -- 14 15 0
Alex Casilias (3-4), Ian Durham (7), Mike Paresa (7) and David Brethouwer (8) and Chris Brouillette. Joe Esposito (1-0), Ronnie Newkirk (7), Shawn Giblair (8), Aaron Henry (9), and Andrew Magliola, Chris Cannata (8). 2B-Chris Brouillette, Tristan Hobbes, Magliola (E); 3B-Vinny Lopez (C).
