Auburn, N.Y. – The fifth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State Warriors (32-14-1) beat the fourth-seeded Montclair State Red Hawks (28-20) 14-0 in Friday’s fourth and final game of the NCAA Division III baseball regional tournament hosted by Ithaca College at Auburn’s Falcon Park. The Warriors advance to Saturday’s loser’s bracket final and will play third-seeded Rensselaer Saturday at 1 p.m. for the right to take on top-seeded Cortland in the championship round. The Eastern Connecticut-Rensselaer winner would need to beat Cortland twice – once Saturday at 5 p.m. and once in Sunday’s winner-take-all game – to win the regional title and a trip to the Division III World Series.
Five Warriors recorded multiple-hit efforts as Eastern Connecticut scored six second-inning runs and junior James Kukucka allowed four hits and fanned eight over eight shutout innings.
Freshman right fielder Jim Schult led the Warriors with three hits and three RBI’s.
Senior left fielder Jon Dalton, senior center fielder Ismael Bolorin and junior catcher Andrew Magliola drove in two runs apiece.
Dalton, Bolorin first baseman junior Tristan Hobbes and sophomore third baseman Melvin Castillo all had two hits. Andrew Smiley pinch-hit a home run for the Warriors.
