KEENE, N.H. 4/9/05 - The Keene State baseball team extended its winning steak to five games with a Little East Conference sweep (5-2 and 3-2) over Western Conn. State University at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.

Rick Stromgren (2-0) (Keene, N.H.) scattered seven hits and fanned five batters over eight and a third innings to pick up his second win of the season in the second game. Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) got the final two outs to notch his second save of the day and seventh of the season.

Taking a 1-0 lead on an infield out in the first, KSC added two more runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Nick Arroyo (Northridge, CA.) and Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.). WCSU (3-10, 0-3 LEC) made things interesting with two runs in the top of the ninth. Chris Kaplan (Stratford, Conn.), who had three hits in the game, had an RBI double and Dennis Barrett (Staten Island, N.Y.) delivered a run- producing single before Ford closed the door.

Mike Masseur (Warwick, R.I.) had three hits and Arroyo, John Grainger (Keene, N.H.), and Rousseau had two hits each for the Owls (12-5, 3-0 LEC).

Nick Callahan (Corning, N.Y.) took the loss for the Colonials.

Ryan Jones (Nashua, N.H.) had two RBIs and starter Jon Young (Rindge, N.H.) pitched five strong innings to lead the Owls to a win in the opener.

Jones' RBI single put KSC ahead 1-0 in the third. The Owls added four more runs in the fourth on a bases loaded walk by Josh Watkins (Keene, N.H.), a sacrifice fly by Masseur, a WCSU error, and an RBI single by Jones. The Colonials got two runs back in the top of the fifth on a two-run double by D.J. Mulhall (Stratford, Conn.).

Grainger and Matt Orszulak (Campton, N.H.) had two hits each for KSC. Mulhall had two of WCSU's four hits.

Young (3-0), who gave up one hit, got the win despite allowing eight walks. Jim Slack (Manchester, N.H.) pitched three innings of two-hit relief, and Ford closed it out with his fisrt of two saves in the afternoon. .

Starter, Zane Honious (Wallingford, Conn.) gave up four hits and three earned runs during his three innings on the mound took the loss.

Keene State travels to Castleton State for a doubleheader on Sunday.