FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Junior third baseman Hunter Loomis (Glastonbury, Conn.) went 4-for-6, drove in a run and scored two others as the Western Connecticut State University baseball team pounded out 16 hits and held on to defeat Hood College, 11-9 on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Max Gregory (Jewitt City, Conn.) and Joe Gambino (Stamford, Conn.) each collected three hits in six trips to the plate and had two doubles and a triple, respectively.

WestConn, now 4-2, scored six runs in its half of the third inning with Gregory, Nicholas Moeller (Mahopac, N.Y.) and Kevin Smith (Vernon, Conn.) drove in a run.  Three other runs scored on wild pitches in the frame.

After yielding a run in the bottom half of the third inning, Gambino's RBI three bagger, plated Gregory in the top of the fifth inning to give the winners a 10-4 advantage.

Graduate student Mason Blanchette (Brookfield, Conn.) earned the victory after striking out six in five innings.  He allowed seven runs, five of them earned on seven hits and walked three.

Ethan Skinner (Berlin, Conn.) went the next two innings and allowed one run, struck out one and allowed one free pass.

Zachary Royda (Naugatuck, Conn.) registered his first save of the season after allowing one unearned run on two hits over the final two innings.  He struck out one.

WestConn's varsity squad will enjoy Wednesday off before taking on Hood College in a doubleheader on Thursday.  First pitch is slated for 10 am.