'WESTFIELD, MA - Freshman catcher Chris Hebert rapped his third game-winning hit of the season, an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning, to lift Westfield State to a 6-5 victory over Keene State in non-conference baseball action Thursday, April 22.

The Owls of Westfield State moved to 11-14 while the Owls of Keene State are now 12-13-1.

Westfield had rallied to take a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning on a solo homer over the left field fence by No. 9 hitter Nate Chase. Keene knotted the score in the top of the ninth when Bill Green led off with a triple and scored on a single by Pat Austin.

Sophomore first baseman Pat Jaehnig led off Westfield's ninth inning with a lined single to center field. Chris Visone sacrificed pinch runner Shane Higgins to second base, then Shaun Geary was intentionally walked. Hebert then delivered the game-winning hit to left field, easily

scoring Higgins.

Westfield, which outhit Keene, 14-8, took an early 2-0 lead. However, Keene collected half of its hits in the fourth inning, scoring three runs to take the lead. The visitors went ahead 4-2 in the sixth on Matt Beam's second RBI, a groundout that scored Justin Hickman (2-for-4,

RBI).

Westfield scored a run with two outs in the sixth when Chase walked and scored on a triple, a mammoth blast off the center field fence - by hot-hitting freshman shortstop Troy Ferguson (Rochester).Westfield tied the score in the seventh. Senior outfielder Pat Ryan (Adams) lined a rope in the left field gap that he legged out for a triple. It was Ryan's school record eighth triple of the season. He also

holds the school career record for triples with 14 despite playing only two seasons at Westfield. Ryan scored two batters later on a clutch RBI single by Geary.

Jared Seltzer picked up his second pitching victory in three days; he relieved starting pitcher Brian Thomas following Green's leadoff triple in the ninth.

Ferguson was 3 for 4 with a triple, double and single and RBI. Ryan was 2 for 4 and Chase was 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

Keene State is back in action on Sunday (11 a.m.) in a non-conference doubleheader against Endicott College at Owl Athletic Complex.

(Courtesy of Westfield State Sports Information)