MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Roger Williams University Baseball team went toe-to-toe with the No 2/4 nationally ranked Eastern Connecticut State University but ultimately an excess of freebees resulted in a pair of defeats at the Eastern Baseball Stadium on Saturday. The Warriors capitalized on the five walks allowed by Justin Garcia (Foxborough, Mass.), handing the lefty his first loss, 5-2 in game one before a brutal seventh defensively ended in a 4-2 defeat in the second game.
 
With the losses, the Hawks are in the midst of their longest losing skid of the season at four games, though three of them have come at the hands of ECSU. They nonetheless fall to 26-7-1. The Warriors, meanwhile, improve to 32-3.
 
In game one, Garcia continued to limit the hits allowed, surrendering just four, but allowed five walks and plunked two batters resulting in four runs allowed as he fell to 5-1. Then in game two, Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.) was outstanding, pitching the first complete game for RWU this season allowing just one earned run on five hits and two walks while fanning eight. Unfortunately, he got little help behind him as the defense made five errors and he was tagged for an additional three unearned runs to take the loss and fall to 6-2.
 
For ECSU, Billy Oldham (Brookfield, Conn.) went seven innings striking out eight while allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and no walks in a game one win to improve to 7-2. Aidan Dunn (Westfield, Mass.) went the final two frames to lock down his second save of the season. Then in the second contest, Bryan Albee (Killingly, Conn.) got the start and allowed two runs on three hits and four walks, but he did not factor into the decision. Instead, Jack Wallace (Winthrop, Mass.) got the win in relief to move to 1-0 before Nathan Furino (East Haven, Conn.) completed his first save of the year.
 
Hawk Highlights
Game 1
Brandon Jenkins: 1-for-4, 2B, RS
London Camelo: 1-for-4, RBI
Jack Morin: 1-for-4, RS
Matt Massaro: 1-for-4, 2B
 
Justin Garcia: (L, 5-1), 5.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
 
For The Opponents
John Mesagno: 2-for-4, SB, RBI, RS
Ryan Bagdasarian: 1-for-2, BB, RBI, RS
Zach Donahue: 2-for-4, 2B, BB, RS
Noah Plantamuro: 1-for-2, BB, RBI
 
Billy Oldham: (W, 7-2), 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Aidan Dunn: (SV, 2), 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
 
How It Happened
The first inning and a half of game one would transpire without a baserunner but then Eastern Connecticut got to Justin Garcia (Foxborough, Mass.) in the bottom of the second. Ryan Bagdasarian (Glastonbury, Conn.) drew a one-out walk, Josh Tower (Auburn, Mass.) got plunked, and after a fielders choice, Noah Plantamuro (Bristol, Conn.) singled to plate the run and the hosts had the lead.
 
Garcia was wild to start the third, issuing back-to-back walks and the Warriors made him pay adding to their advantage. John Mesagno (Tappan, N.Y.) singled to left to score a run and while Matt Malcom (East Lyme, Conn.) followed by rolling into a double play, another run crossed the plate, and the lead was 3-0 with each runner who crossed the plate having gotten on base by way of a walk.  
 
The Roger Williams offense came to life in the fourth. With one out, Brandon Jenkins (East Bridgewater, Mass.) mashed a double to the opposite field. Jack Morin (North Andover, Mass.) followed by grounding one to third but the throw by Zach Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) got away allowing Jenkins to score and Morin to take his spot at second. London Camelo (Bristol, R.I.) got RWU within one by ripping a single into center though unfortunately that is as close as they got as Billy Oldham (Brookfield, Conn.) shut it down from there.
 
Eastern Connecticut manufactured an insurance run in the fifth. Mesagno singled and stole second, Malcom bunted him over and Bagdasarian hit him in with a sacrifice fly and just like that the lead was doubled. The hosts pieced together another on a single a sac bunt and a single in the sixth to finalize the scoring as ECSU won game one 5-2.
 
Game 2
Tyler Cedeno: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Mike Masino: 1-for-3, RS
Brandon Jenkins: 1-for-4, BB
Matt Falvey: 0-for-2, BB, RS
 
Chris Flynn: (L, 6-2), 8.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
 
For The Opponents
Matt Malcom: 1-for-3, 3B, SB, BB, 3 RBI
John Mesagno: 1-for-2, HR, BB, RBI, 2 RS
Zach Donahue: 1-for-4, SB, RS
Ryan Bagdasarian: 1-for-3, 3B
 
Bryan Albee: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
Jack Wallace: (W, 1-0), 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Nathan Furino: (SV, 1), 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
 
How It Happened
The first three innings of game two flew by in uneventful fashion until Eastern Connecticut State broke the scoreless tie as John Mesagno (Tappan, N.Y.) continued to wreak havoc mashing a leadoff home run to left in the fourth. Ryan Bagdasarian (Glastonbury, Conn.) tripled two batters later and they tried to safety squeeze bunt the run in, however, Josh Tower (Auburn, Mass.) popped up his bunt attempt and Chris Flynn (Naugatuck, Conn.) forced a flyout to escape the jam.
 
Roger Williams would claim their first lead of the series in the fifth. Tommy Hobin (Madison, Conn.) drew a leadoff walk and Christopher Flynn (Randolph, N.J.) bunted him up 90 feet. Mike Masino (Bayville, N.J.) followed by legging out an infield hit as Hobin would advance. However, Hobin would suffer a fate as a rare pickoff victim at third base and that mistake would hurt. Matt Falvey (Walpole, Mass.) followed with a walk and Tyler Cedeno (Maynard, Mass.) plated both runs with a double to right, but RWU may have left a true breakthrough inning on the table.
 
Things fell apart defensively for the Hawks in the seventh. Noah Plantamuro (Bristol, Conn.) leadoff by reaching on an error that got right through the wickets of Masino. After he was bunted up ninety feet. Zach Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) then also reached on an error, this time on a grounder that ate up Hobin at second and despite forcing what should have been three outs in the inning, Chris Flynn now had to navigate runners on the corners with one out. He picked up a strikeout though Donahue swiped second during the at-bat and RWU decided to utilize that vacated base with an intentional walk of Mesagno. Matt Malcom (East Lyme, Conn.) came through torching a triple to center to clear the bases and put the hosts in front. Bagdasarian flied out for out number five in the inning to conclude the frame, but the damage was done.
 
RWU got the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate with one out in the ninth, but Hobin grounded into a double play and the Warriors secured the 4-2 win.
 
What's Next
In dire need of a win, Roger Williams will get that chance when they host Curry College on Tuesday. First pitch will be 3:30 PM.