'CLEARWATER FLA.  3/15/04  - Justin Hickman's (Mont Vernon, N.H.) two-out, bases clearing double in the fifth inning sparked a come-from-behind 5-4 victory by the Keene State College baseball team over Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) College in Clearwater, Fla., on Monday. The Owls had dropped the opener 9-4 to the Lions.

Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, Hickman, on a one-and -two count, doubled down the right field line to give KSC a 4-3 lead.  Hickman came around to score on an infield pinch-hit single by Matt Beam (Alstead, N.H.).

Making his first college start, freshman Mike Wiseman (Barnstable, Mass.) went five innings to notch the win.  He gave up three earned runs and seven hits with a strikeout and two walks.   Pat Austin (Wallingford, Conn.) (one run, two hits) pitched the last two innings to earn the save. 

"I think we showed a lot of character with the win," said KSC Coach Ken Howe.

The Owls fell behind early and were never able to catch the Lions in the first game. 

KSC cut the lead to 6-4 in fourth on RBI hits from Tim Kendrick (Middletown, R.I.) and Mike Masseur (Warwick, R.I.).  But MSJ answered with another run in the bottom of the inning and two more in the sixth, including an inside the park home run by Michael Mayer.

Ryan Kohler (Alstead, N.H.) took the loss for the Owls.  He struggled with his control giving up six runs, walking four and hitting three batters in his two-and a third innings on the mound.  Jason Shea (Hatfield, Mass.) gave up three run in 3 1/3 innings of relief and Mike Corsano (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) finished up on the hill.

After a trip to Busch Gardens on Tuesday, the Owls (2-2) will return to the diamond for a pair against Hamilton College (N.Y.) on Wednesday.