Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DANBURY, Conn. - Sophomore 2B Ryan Vallie (East Haven, Conn.) went 5-for-7 with five runs, three RBIs and a stolen base to lead the Western Connecticut State University Wolves to a 20-14 win over the visiting Vermont State University Castleton Spartans in Little East Conference (LEC) baseball action this afternoon at Westside Field.  WestConn, which dropped the first game of today's doubleheader, 13-11, is now 8-16 overall and 1-8 in the LEC, while the Spartans move to 11-18 overall and 4-7 in the league.  The Wolves will host SUNY Purchase next on Monday night at 6 p.m.

WestConn pounded 18 hits in the win and broke a 10-10 tie with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Sophomore 1B Thomas Keough (Farmington, Conn.) had a two-run triple, classmate Bryan Birkl (Farmingdale, N.Y.) smacked an RBI double, and freshman C Eliot Kleinman (Nanuet, N.Y.) delivered an RBI single for WestConn in the inning.  Castleton scored four runs in the last three innings, but the Wolves scored three times in the seventh and twice in the eight with Vallie hitting RBI singles in both innings. 

WestConn led, 6-1, after two innings, as freshman OF Nick Lobuono (Trumbull, Conn.) led the way with an RBI single in the first and a two-run double in the second frame.  The Spartans erupted for eight runs in the third inning, including four on a grand slam by Mason Meinke, to lead, 9-6.  The Wolves went ahead, 10-9, with four runs in the bottom of the third with two runs coming on a two-run single by senior Nick Moeller (Mahopac, N.Y.).  Meinke tied the score in the top of the fifth with a run-scoring single before Pliego got two outs in a row with two runners on to end the inning. 

Senior Luke Pliego (Bethel, Conn.) pitched 2.2 innings and picked up his first career win and freshman Rocco Panaro (Selden, N.Y.) was the most effective of five WestConn relievers with no earned runs and one hit allowed over 1.1 innings pitched.  Castleton used seven pitchers and Owen Phelps took the loss.  Offensively, WestConn junior OF Peter Coniglio (New Milford, Conn.) was 3-for-3 with four runs and two walks, while Lobuono, Keough, Kleinman, and Birkl had two hits.  Meinke was 4-for-6 with two runs and six RBIs for the Spartans.  The teams combined for nine errors and 24 walks.

Game one was a heartwrenching loss for the Wolves who led, 6-1, after one inning and 11-8, heading into the eighth frame, but gave up eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings.  Trailing, 1-0, in the bottom of the first, WestConn score six in the bottom of the first including two on a two-run single by Lobuono.  The Wolves held a 9-8 lead in the middle of the seventh inning but scored twice to take a three-run lead.  Justin Strozyk keyed Castleton's five-run eighth with a three-run homer over the center feld fence. 

Phelps got the win with two innings of relief and Owen Nichols got a save with a scoreless ninth for the Spartans.  Graduate Connor Corcoran (Danbury, Conn.) took the loss in relief for the Wolves and freshman Brandon Payne (Milford, Conn.) did not allow an earned run while recording the last four Spartan outs.  Lobuono and sophomore OF Jayson Hannah (Staten Island, N.Y.) had two hits for the WestConn offense, which benefited from eight Castleton errors.  Meinke was 3-for-6 for the Spartan offense.