SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Junior Jason Connelly (Scituate, MA) cooled down a hot-hitting Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute team with a nifty five-hit shutout as Western New England College took a 3-0 non conference decision Monday at sunny Trelease Park.

Connelly, a right-hander, struck out two and walked two in raising his record to 5-1 following his first shutout of the season.

The Engineers, who entered the game with a .360 team batting average, managed only three hits through the first eight innings.

Western New England College made several outstanding defensive plays in the contest, including one by Connelly in the ninth when Rensselaer had runners on first and second with one out. Connelly snared a line drive by pinch-hitter Stevan Slusher and turned it into a game-ending double play.

Freshman second baseman Ryan Kravontka (Glastonbury, CT) had a double and two runs-batted-in for the Golden Bears.

Western New England College (19-5) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when senior leftfielder Chris Mahoney (Yorkville, NY) walked, stole second, and scored on a two-out double by Kravontka who had another RBI in a two-run sixth when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Sophomore third baseman Josh Jacobs (Essex Junction, VT) contributed two hits for the Golden Bears who ran their winning streak to five games.

Rensselaer falls to 13-11.