DANBURY, Conn. - Four Western Connecticut State University pitchers combined to allow just four earned runs, but the Wolves committed five errors and suffered a 10-3 loss against the visiting SUNY Purchase Panthers in baseball action this evening at Westside Field. WestConn falls to 8-17 with a Little East Conference (LEC) doubleheader at Rhode Island College tomorrow at noon. The Panthers improve to 9-22.
SUNY Purchase went ahead, 3-0, in the first inning thanks to a two-run homer to left field by Liam Daly and a solo shot to right field by Sam Saltzman. The Panthers scored two unearned runs in the third before the Wolves got one run back on consecutive singles by sophomores
Jayson Hannah (Staten Island N.Y.) and
Ryan Vallie (East Haven, Conn.) and senior C Nick Moeller (Mahopac, N.Y.). In the fourth frame, WestConn graduate
Connor Corcoran (Danbury, Conn.) led off with a double and sophomore OF
Charles Mulhall (Fairfield, Conn.) doubled him home to make the score, 5-2.
Moeller doubled and scored on a Panther error in the fifth, but SUNY Purchase returned the favor with an unearned run in the top of the sixth inning. WestConn junior reliever
Luke Paluska (East Hampton, Conn.) came on in relief and got the last out with two runners on base with a strikeout in to keep the Panther run total at sixth. Kyan Zaminiyan shut down the Wolves offense for the last four innings, however, retiring nine of 10 batters to collect a save.
WestConn sophomore starter
Jimmy Muthersbaugh (Bethel, Conn.) was solid, scattering nine hits but allowing just three earned runs with seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings, while Paluska, junior southpaw Rober Garcia (Farmingville, N.Y.) and junior righty Ken Firlings (Middletown, R.I.) yielded four hits and one earned run the rest of the way. Justin Lorenzo got the win for SUNY Purchase, allowing nine runs and two earned runs with two K's. Moeller went 3-for-5 with a double, a run, an RBI and a stolen base, while Hannah and junior 3B
Josef Rosa (Fort Lee, N.J.) also had two hits for the Wolves.
