NEWPORT, R.I. 3/24/07 -  The Keene State College baseball team began its Northern schedule by banging out 27 hits en route to a doubleheader sweep (6-1, 12-10) over Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. on Saturday.

John Grainger (Keene, N.H.) had two hits and four RBIs to lead KSC in the first game.  Grainger and freshman Beau Darak (Londonderry, N.H.) had RBI hits to stake the Owls to a 3-0 lead in the first.  Grainger added a two-run single in sixth.

Jeff Perkins (Dunbarton, N.H.) Ryan Jones (Nashua, N.H.) Buck Merrill (Colchester, Conn.) two hits each in the 12-hit attack.

Senior Rick Stromgren (Keene, N.H.) tossed a complete game five-hitter to improve his record to 2-1.  He struck out two and walked one batter. 

The Owls collected 15 more hits in the second game.  Sophomore James Chevalier (Amherst, N.H.) had led the assault with three hits and three RBIs.   Jones, who also had a three-hit game, and Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) also picked up two RBIs in the game.

Keene State plated three runs in the fifth to go up 7-4. Chevalier and Jones had RBIs hits in the inning.  The Owls scored five more times in the seventh with Chevalier, Perkins, Grainger, Ford, and Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.) knocking in runs. 

The Seahawks (7-5) made things interesting by scoring six runs in the bottom of the seventh.

The Owls used six pitchers in the game.  Starter Jon Young (Rindge, N.H.), who gave up four runs and five hits, pitched into the fourth inning.   Mike Cook (Dover, Mass.), who came on in the fifth pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.  Ford took the mound with runners on first and second in the seventh. He got the final out on a fly ball to end the game.

Keene State (9-5) is scheduled to play at Wheaton College on Sunday (1 p.m.).