Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

Danbury, CT (Apr. 17, NY) – The Purchase baseball team used Wednesday night's non-conference doubleheader at Western Connecticut State as a tune-up for this weekend's Skyline Conference action, which includes Saturday's highly anticipated twin bill with Farmingdale State.

Originally slated as one single, nine-inning game with WestConn, the matchup was expanded to a doubleheader. Unfortunately, Purchase let an early lead slip away in game one and wound up losing both ends to WestConn, a tough non-conference opponent. WestConn rallied for a 12-11 win in game one and followed that with a 6-0 game-two win.

For WestConn, Tyler Eastwood pitched a complete-game shutout that included 11 strikeouts and only on walk to help WestConn sweep Purchase Wednesday evening at Westside Field. 

In game one, a solo home run to left field by catcher James Annello in the bottom of the sixth inning broke an 11-11 tie and proved to be the winning run for Western.

In the top of the first in game one, the throwing arm of Annello prevented at least one Purchase run as the Panthers led off with an infield error and three straight walks, but Annello threw out two runners attempting to steal second and Purchase stranded two runners on base to remain scoreless.

In the Western half of the first, Jeff John and Bobby Coyne led off with infield singles. 

 Both runners scored when Conor Bierfeldt drilled a double, giving the Colonials a 2-0 lead after one inning of play.

When Western starter Zack Philippas walked the first two batters to start the Purchase second inning, his day was over and right-hander Derik Brady entered the game in relief. 

After a bunt moved the runners to second and third, Purchase's Jay Ruiz (SO/Bronx, NY) stroked a double to right, driving in both runners and evening the score at 2-2. 

A sharp single to right center off the bat of Daniel Stroud (SR/Nyack, NY) gave Purchase its first lead at 3-2. 

After yet another walk, cleanup hitter Ronald Echavarria (SR/Bronx, NY) drove in the fourth run of the inning with a single to center. 

After sending nine batters to the plate in the inning, Purchase led 4-2.

Western got one run back in the bottom of the second when Lucas Rosado walked to lead off, but was out at second on a fielder's choice that put Annello on first.  Annello then stole second and scored on a single by John to trim the Purchase lead to 4-3 after two.

In the top of the third, Brady gave up the seventh and eighth walks of the game, committed a balk that move both runners up, and then hit the third Purchase batter, bringing Joe Fedak in from the bullpen. Pinch-hitter Michael Skoller (SO/East Meadow, NY) hit a bases-loaded single to center for a 5-3 Purchase lead. Back-to-back to back doubles by Stroud, Justin Sherman (SR/New Rochelle, NY), and Echavarria drove in five more Purchase runs to make the margin 10-3.

Bierfeldt hit his second double of the game to lead off the bottom of the third. A walk to Austin Howard, a single by John Kelly, and a double by Rosado scored two Western runs, and a two-base error on a fly-ball allowed two more to make the score 10-7 after three.

Two singles and a sacrifice fly to center pushed the Purchase lead to 11-7 in the top of the fourth inning. Western closed the gap in its half of the fourth when Bierfeldt drew a one-out walk and scored on consecutive singles by Howard and Kelly.

Howard, who had taken second on the throw to the plate, scored on Kelly's single to make the score 11-9.

Consecutive singles and a bunt to lead off the top of the fifth inning put runners on second and third with one out, and brought Rob Valunas on in relief.  Valunas got the next two Purchase batters to strike out swinging, stranding both runners and keeping the score 11-9.

Western closed to within one run in the bottom of the fifth when Annello led off with a double to right and later scored on a dropped fly in left.

Kelly led off the bottom of the sixth with a double over the center fielder's head, moved to third on a bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Russell.  With two outs, Annello hit a deep fly over the fence in left, giving Western its first lead of since the second inning, 12-11. 

Valunas retired Purchase in order in the seventh inning to pick up the win and give Western the 12-11 victory.

In the bottom of the second of game two, Western got on the board first and led 1-0 after two.

Western, which tacked on another run shortly after, bumped the lead to 2-0 after three.

In the bottom of the fourth, Chris Smith led off with a single, but was forced out at second on a grounder by John Fracker.  With two outs, Fracker stole second and scored when Annello hit a single through the left side of the infield, making the Western lead 3-0. 

Ryan Lacey was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, and John followed with a looping single to right to score Annello, giving Western a 4-0 lead after four innings.

Purchase kept battling. Eastwood gave up two singles in the top of the sixth inning, but recorded his tenth strikeout to end the inning without giving up a run. Eastwood recorded his 11th strikeout against the first batter in the top of the seventh and then retired the next two batters to complete the victory. 

In four of the seven innings, Eastwood retired Purchase in order, included two innings where he struck out the side.  Eastwood is now 2-1 on the season, with a 2.08 ERA.

Purchase is now 18-11. The Panthers will travel to FSC Saturday and then return home Sunday for Senior Day against Yeshiva. 

-WestConn Sports Information Contributed to this report