'FITCHBURG, MASS. 4/13/06 - Fitchburg State College scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and held off an Owl rally in the ninth inning to post a 6-4 non-conference baseball victory over Keene State at Elliot Field in Fitchburg, Mass., on Thursday.

The Falcons (10-15) took their lead on a sacrifice fly by Paul Vittozzi (North Reading, Mass.) and an RBI single from Andrew Kiewlicz.

With one out in the top of the ninth, KSC's Shawn Howey (East Hartford, Conn.) singled to center.  James Chevalier (Amherst, N.H.) was safe on a fielder's choice with Howey getting out at second.  Jeremy Schilling (Centerville, Mass.) followed with a single through the right side, but Derek Lee (Hudson, N.H.), pinch hitting for Ben Fournier (Center Harbor, N.H.), stuck out to end the game.

KSC took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on a RBI single to left by John Grainger (Keene, N.H.). FSC took the lead back (4-2) with three runs in the fifth.  KSC scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the score. Ryan Jones (Nashua, N.H.) led off the seventh with a triple to right center and scored on a throwing error and Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.) scored on an error in the eighth.

Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) went four-for-four at the plate.  Grainger and Howey had two hits each for KSC (18-8). 

Kevin Binney (Hopedale, Mass.)(0-1) in relief of starter Jamie Morin (Goffstown, N.H.) took the loss for KSC.  George Migrants (Ayer, Mass.) got the win for the Falcons with Matt Maguire (Salisbury, Mass.) who came in to quell the Owls rally in the ninth, got the save.

KSC travels to Colby-Sawyer College on Friday.