AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Ripon's baseball team narrowly lost to Eastern Connecticut State Tuesday morning, falling by a score of 3-2. Ripon fell behind 3-1 mid-way through the game, but couldn't complete a late rally.

Eastern Connecticut (3-0) got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning on a solo home run by Alex Zachary to right center. Ripon (0-6) tied the score in the fifth inning when Doug Ferrell drove in Isiah Ramos, who led the inning off with his first triple of the season.

That tie lasted until the bottom of the sixth, which saw Eastern Connecticut record back-to-back two-out triples, followed by an RBI single to take a 3-1 lead. Ripon got one of those runs back on an RBI double by Hector Aguinaga in the seventh, but they would leave one runner stranded, ending their rally.

Ripon finished with four hits, with two of them coming off the bat of Aguinaga. Brian Brown (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three earned runs and striking out five in seven innings of work.

Eastern Connecticut recorded eight hits, with two apiece coming from Zachary and Alex Parkos. Ron Buchetto (1-0) earned the victory, striking out five and allowing one earned run in 6.2 innings. Sam Kosterich picked up his first save of the season, striking out two in a hitless ninth inning.

Ripon will be in action again on Wednesday when they'll battle SUNY-Brockport at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time in Winter Haven, Fla.