'KEENE, N.H. 5/8/04 - The Keene State College baseball team dropped both games of a Little East Conference doubleheader (6-1 and 7-2) to UMass-Dartmouth at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday. 

Keene State concludes its regular season at 13-21-1 and 5-9 in the conference, while UMD improves to 23-13 and 8-6 in the conference.  KSC enters the upcoming Little East Conference tournament as the sixth seed and will face top seed and host Eastern Conn. State University on Wednesday (TBA).     

Junior Dan DeCosta (Somerset, Mass.) allowed only three hits over eight innings in the opener to register the complete game win for the Corsairs.  He struck out six and walked six, giving up one earned run to improve to 5-3.

Junior Jim Peters (Taunton, Mass.) went two-for-three, while senior Geoff Nettleton (Marlboro, Mass.), juniors Doug Hittinger (Middleton, Mass.), and Chris Waymon (Wareham, Mass.) had two hits each for UMD.  

KSC's only run came in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Matt Orszulak (Campton, N.H.).  Rick Stromgren (Keene, N.H.), who struck out three and walked three in his four innings of work, took the loss (3-2) for the Owls. 

In the nightcap, junior Ryan Sullivan (Chicopee, Mass.) was three-for-five, while Nettleton was two-for-five with two RBI's to lead the Corsairs.  Sophomore Michael Noce (Sudbury, Mass.) also chipped in with two hits and two RBI's.

Greg Preston (Bow, N.H.) and Zach Rokes (Keene, N.H.) each had two hits to lead the Owls.  Seniors Justin Hickman (Mont Vernon, N.H.) and Tim Kendrick (Middletown, R.I.) had run-producing hits for KSC.

Frank Cronin (Rockland, Mass.) earned the win (4-2) for UMD.  He fanned nine, walked four, and allowed but five hits in seven innings on the mound.  Peter Bergeron (Keene, N.H.) took the loss (1-6) for KSC.