WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Riding a combined gem from Will Schnepf and Mark Fernandez, the Carleton College baseball team began its Spring Break trip by downing Eastern Connecticut State by a 7-2 tally.
 
ECSU (7-4) had been receiving votes in the D3baseball.com national poll prior to this week.
 
Carleton (3-2) kicked off its team in the Sunshine State with an early run. Asher Stolberg was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, stole second, and was plated by Ryan Chang's ground-rule double after a nine-pitch at-bat. The Knights tacked on another in the fourth when Jack Hommeyer reached on a two-out error, Aaron Rice knocked a single, and Nathan Barnhart lined a double into left.
 
The maize and blue continued to add, with Sam Chutkow and Sam Gossard cranking consecutive two-baggers in the fifth, and an error helping two more runs across in the sixth to make it 5-0. RBI singles for Andrew Sellers and Ananth Iyer concluded Carleton's scoring in the final two innings.
 
Schnepf was on the hill for the opening 5.0 frames and authored a masterful outing, conceding just two hits and a walk while striking out five to earn a win. The junior has posted nine straight scoreless innings to begin his season. Senior southpaw Fernandez kept the Warriors off balance with a barrage of off-speed deliveries, going 3.2 scoreless innings until a two-out home run in the ninth gave Eastern Connecticut its only runs. Fernandez finished with 4.0 innings pitched, three hits allowed, and four K's for his first career save.
 
Rice continued a hot start to his season with a 3-for-4 performance, carding a double. Chutkow went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton takes on the University of Chicago, who is receiving votes in the D3baseball.com national poll, at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 20 at Northeast Regional Park in Davenport, Fla.