'MANSFIELD, CONN. 5/8/03 – The Keene State College baseball team put itself in the position of having to beat the nation's top-ranked team and defending national champion if it hopes to stay alive in the Little east Conference Tournament.

On Thursday, KSC was defeated 6-3 to Southern Maine in the double-elimination tournament being hosted by the top ranked Eastern Conn. State Univ. – the team the Owls will face to avoid elimination.

The Owls (12-22) fell behind 5-0 after three innings against Southern Maine.  Brian Marshall (four-for-five) and Pat McDonough (three-for-five) had RBI singles off KSC starter James Slack in the second inning, and the Huskies added three more runs in the third.

 McDonough's two-run single also came against Slack, who was relieved by pat Austin and went the rest of the way allowing only four hits and one unearned run in 6  and 2/3 innings.

Pat Liddy scattered nine hits and struck out seven in going eight-plus innings for the victory for USM. 

 KSC got single runs in the fourth eighth and ninth innings.  In the fourth Nick Bujeaud doubled and scored on a single by John Trubiano. In the eighth the Owls got a run on a bases-loaded wild pitch but left the other two runners aboard.

In the ninth, Austin led off with a double and Travis Muckle followed with a single, his third hit of the game.  But the Owls scored just one run on a ground out as Ryan Adams came on to record his 11th save of the season.