MANSFIELD, CT 5/11/05 - Fifth-seeded Rhode Island College knocked out Keene State College starter Ryan Kohler (ALSTEAD, NH) during a five-run second inning and went on to an 8-3 win over the second-seeded Owls in an opening-round game of the 2005 Little East conference Baseball Tournament Wednesday afternoon at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

Rhode Island (16-19) moves into a winner's bracket game Thursday night at 7 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday night's game between third-seeded University of Southern Maine and fourth-seeded Western Connecticut State University. Keene (22-14) faces sixth-seeded Massachusetts Boston Thursday at noon in an elimination game. UMass Boston lost, 5-1, to top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University in Wednesday's first game.

Rhode Island's Glenn Dusablon (NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI) allowed ten hits but was backed by a 14-hit attack in recording his fifth win without a loss this year. Dusablon carried six-hitter and an 8-1 lead into the eighth inning before the Owls scored twice on Greg Ford's (Nashua, N.H.) third home run of the year - a two-run shot with no one out. Ford finished with three hits and two RBI to lead the Owls. Pat Austin (Wallingford, Conn.) delivered a pair of hits in the loss.

Leading 1-0, Rhode Island exploded for five runs on four runs in chasing Kohler. A hit batter with the bases loaded forced in the first run and Peter Olson (NORTH PROVIDENCE, RI) and Matt Brannon (CRANSTON, RI) plated two each with singles. Brannon's two-run single greeted Keene pitcher Mike Corsano (CORTLANDT MANOR, NY).

Leadoff batter Olson finished with two hits, two runs and two RBI and Brannon was 4-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.