PROVIDENCE, R.I. 4/17/05 - Three bad innings cost the Keene State College baseball team, which was swept 8-7 and 8-4 by R.I. College in a Little East Conference doubleheader played Sunday in Providence, R.I.

Keene State falls to 15-11 (4-3 LEC) while R.I. College improves to 12-10 (5-3 LEC).

The Anchormen plated six runs in the second inning on the way to winning the opener. Trailing 6-1, the Owls battled back with three runs in the third with Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) providing an RBI single. After RIC went up 8-4, KSC got two runs back in the fifth and one more in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Jeremy Schilling (Centerville, Mass.) to make it 8-7, but left two runners on base.

Ford finished the game with four hits and Nick Arroyo (Northridge, Ca.) had three hits for KSC. Owl starter Mike Cook (Dover, Mass.) (1-2) struggled in his 1.2 innings of work giving up six earned runs.

The Owls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap. The two-out rally included a two-run double by Schilling and infield single by John Grainger (Keene, N.H.).

But RIC answered with four runs in the third and sixth inning to take command.

Owl starter Phil Mabey (Williamstown, Mass.) (2-2) also had a rough outing giving up eight earned runs over 5.2 innings on the mound.

Grainger had three hits and Schilling and Mike Masseaur (Warwick, R.I.) collected two hits each for KSC.

Keene State hosts LEC rival Plymouth State on Wednesday (3:30 p.m.).