MANSFIELD, Conn. – Eastern Connecticut State University came away with a walk-off win Thursday afternoon against the Roger Williams University Baseball team, earning a 6-5 victory against the Hawks.
Batting ninth in the lineup, senior catcher Chris Cannata (Southington) doubled his season RBI total with a game-ending double that scored senior centerfielder Joe Cousineau (Newington) from first base with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and propelled the Warriors to the win.
Cannata's second RBI of the season capped a come-from-behind win for Eastern (13-3), which scored single runs in the final three innings to overcome a two-run deficit and defeat Roger Williams (9-11) for the seventh time in this eight-game series. Eastern is ranked No. 1 in New England No. 7 nationally in Division III.
In a tie game, Cousineau was hit on the first pitch from losing pitcher Chris Anderson (Westerly, R.I.) with one out in the ninth, and Cannata drove the first pitch he saw on one hop to the fence in left. The relay from leftfielder Zach Porter (Middleboro, Mass.) to shortstop Mike Thomas (Plainville, Conn.) was dropped in shallow left field as Cousineau crossed the plate standing up.
Trailing 5-3 after the visitors scored four runs in the seventh on a walk and five consecutive hits, Eastern got one back in the seventh in driving freshman starting pitcher Chris Fumasoli (Rye, NY) from the box on sophomore third baseman Joe Balowski's (Berlin) RBI single to right. The Warriors left the bases loaded in the inning but were able to tie the game in the eighth on junior rightfielder Steve Cammuso's (Rutland, Mass.) two-out RBI single to left that sent home senior leftfielder Robert Perry (Manchester, Conn.) from second.
Roger Williams wiped out a 3-1 deficit with four runs in the seventh on Porter's two-run, game-tying single and back-to-back doubles from cleanup hitter Tony Trafecanty (Franklin, Mass.) and Thomas.
Of Eastern's runs, three scored by batters who walked and another by a batter who was hit by pitch. Two Roger Williams pitchers threw six wild pitchers, walked seven and hit three batters and the Hawks also commited three errors and that led to an unearned run.
Cannata reached base four times in the game. He was hit by a pitch twice and singled in the fourth before sending home Cousineau with the winning run in the ninth.
A catcher by trade, Cammuso made his first career start in right field and senior Shane Kingsley (Beacon Falls, Conn.) started his first career game at second base. Cammuso had two hits and his relay to Kingsley cut down a runner at the plate during the Hawks' four-run seventh inning. Kingsley handled six chances in the field without an error.
Balowski joined Cammuso and Cannata with two hits each while Perry reached safely three times with two walks and an infield hit and scored two runs.
The top seven starters in the Roger Williams order hit safely, with leadoff hitter Mike Pascarella (Milford, Conn.) singling in each of his final three at-bats, Porter driving in two runs and Trafecanty and DH Trevor Sybertz (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) recording two hits each.
First-year sophomore transfer Mike Riemer (Ellington, Conn.) won his second game in as many decisions by keeping the game scoreless in the top of the ninth. Pascarella singled to open the ninth, but Riemer got two ground balls and a foul out to end the inning. Freshman Greg Porter (Mystic) pitched 4 2/3 innings for the second time in two career starts but did not figure in the decision. Porter allowed only one run on five hits while fanning four and walking two. He was lifted with two out and a runner on third base and Eastern leading 2-1 in the fifth.
Senior first baseman Tyler Turgeon (Norwich) extended his hitting streak to 14 with a third-inning infield single, and Balowski hit safely in his 12th straight.
Eastern opens Little East Conference play Saturday at noon when it hosts Plymouth State University in a doubleheader. Roger Williams travels to Anna Maria College on Saturday.
- Release courtesy of the Eastern Connecticut State University Sports Information Department
