KEENE, N.H. 5/1/05 - Ryan Jones (Nashua, N.H.) walked with bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning giving Keene State College a dramatic 7-6 come-from-behind Little East Conference baseball victory over Southern Maine in the second game of a doubleheader at Owl Athletic Complex on Sunday. The Owls lost the first game 8-4.

Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.) and Josh Watkins (Keene, N.H.) opened the bottom of the ninth with singles. Matt Orszulak (Campton, N.H.) was safe on a bunt which loaded the bases setting the stage for Jones.

"It would've been nice to get a hit, but I'll take the walk," said Jones, who ran the count to 3 and 1. "I was ready to jump out of my shoes, if he threw me a fastball, but it was low."

Southern Maine loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth, but KSC closer Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) came in to get out of the jam. Ford got the final out when Pat Kinslow (Westbrook, Me.) bunted back to Ford in a failed suicide squeeze attempt. Ford fielded the ball and tagged home for the out. "I was shocked that he attempted a squeeze," said Ford. "I knew the situation, fielded the ball and just had to touch home."

The Owls didn't waste anytime getting on the board in the nightcap. John Grainger (Keene, N.H.) knocked in two runs with a single to right center in the first and Mike Masseur (Warwick, R.I.) had an RBI double in the second. USM took the lead (5-3) with four runs in the fifth. Ryan Bourque (Sanford, Me.) and Nick Vardaro (Norwood, Mass.) had run-producing doubles, and KSC pitcher Jim Slack (Manchester, N.H.) hit two batters with the bases loaded.

John Maryanski (Nashua, N.H.) made it a one run game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth and Grainger tied the game (5-5) with an RBI single to left in the bottom of the sixth.

Andrew Portwine (Gorham, Me.) broke the tie in the eighth with his first home run of the season.

With former Owl pitcher Peter Bergeron (Keene, N.H.) on the mound, Ford tied the game (6-6) in the bottom of the inning on a RBI double to right.

Grainger went four-for-four with three RBIs to lead KSC. Masseur and Jones had three hits each. Vardaro had three hits for USM.

Ford picks up his first win of the season. Brandon Brewer (Cumberland, Me.) who came into pitch in the eighth took the loss for the Huskies.

In the opener, Southern Maine scored runs in the first three innings. Brewer hit a two-run home run, his fifth of the season, in the first, Kinslow and Joe McGhee (Walpole, Mass.) added RBI singles in the second and third innings respectively.

The Owls got one run back in the bottom of the second on Grainger's first home run of the season.

The Huskies picked up two more runs in the fifth. Max Arsenault (Boothbay, Me.) scored on an error and McGhee had an RBI hit.

The Owls got their second run on a RBI infield hit off the glove of third baseman Portwine in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Bourque's (Sanford, Me.) two run homer in the seventh made it an 8-2 game. In the bottom of the inning, Jeremy Schilling (Centerville, Mass.) had an RBI double to right and Orszulak brought in a run with a fielder's choice. Grianger had two hits and Orszulak finished with two RBIs in the game. Bourque, Brewer, McGhee, and Kinslow all had a pair of hits for USM.

Josh Armandi (Jay, Me.) went the distance for the Huskies giving up seven and walking three to improve to 5-1. Rick Stromgren (Keene, N.H.) (3-1), who fanned four and walked two over seven innings, lost his first game of the season.

Keene State, which posts its fourth 20-win or better season since moving to Division III, improves to 20-12 (7-4 LEC). The Owls will make up the second game of Saturday's rainout with UMass-Boston sometime this week before hosting Eastern Conn. on Saturday. It is KSC's second win over USM in 22 meetings.

Southern Maine (21-11, 6-5 LEC) plays at Husson College on Monday.