GORHAM, Maine -- Junior Melvin Castillo (Danbury, Conn.) cranked out three hits, including a pair of home runs, and drove in five runs to lead the nationally-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors to a 14-5 victory of the Keene State College Owls in the championship game of the 2009 Little East Conference Baseball Tournament Saturday afternoon at the USM Baseball Stadium.

Castillo’s three hits were part of a 16-hit attack that helped the Warriors earn their 14th consecutive victory. The Warriors improve to 35-6 overall and earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. The tournament
championship was the Warriors’ seventh in the 13-year history of baseball as a conference sport.

Keene State, the defending tournament champion, reached the championship round by eliminating top-seeded Southern Maine, 7-2, earlier in the day. Keene State finishes the season 25-16.

Eastern Connecticut junior right handed pitcher Will Musson (Wethersfield, Conn.) remained undefeated earning his eighth win hurling seven strong innings. Musson, who struck out three, allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and four walks.

The Warriors jumped on Keene State sophomore starter Corey Vogt (Suffield, Conn.) for four runs in the first inning. Eastern Connecticut senior Shawn Gilblair (Windham, Conn.) drove in the first run of the game with a single to left field. Castillo followed with the first of his two home runs in the game, a three-run shot to left field.

ECSU led 5-0 following an RBI single from junior Travis Bass (West Hartford, Conn.) in the second inning. Keene State cut the margin to 5-2 in the home half of the inning scoring its first run on a fielding error and the second on an RBI single from senior Beau Darak (Londonderry, N.H.).

After the second inning, Musson quieted the KSC bats holding the Owls scoreless and allowing just three hits over the next four innings.

Eastern Connecticut continued to roll offensively scoring at least one run in every inning through the eighth. The Warriors scored two runs in the fifth on a two-run double to left center field by senior Andrew Magliola (East Haven, Conn.). In the eight, Eastern
Connecticut plated three runs on a solo home run from sophomore Jim Schult (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) and a two-run blast from Castillo.

KSC’s Vogt took the loss on the mound giving up five runs (four earned) on three hits and a pair of walks in 1.2 innings pitched.

Gilblair was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player for the third time in his career. The southpaw was 1-0 on the mound allowing just one earned run on six hits over seven innings in the Warriors’ 14-6 win over Southern Maine in the second day of the tournament. At the plate, left-handed hitter finished the tournament batting .538 (7-for-13) with five runs scored, a double, a home run and eight RBI.