WESTFIELD, MASS.  4/19/07 - Junior designated hitter Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) hit for the cycle and six Owls pitchers combined to allow just six hits as Keene State blanked Westfield State 8-0 in non-conference baseball action on Thursday in Westfield.

Ford, got the toughest part of the cycle out of the way in the first inning with a two-out triple that plated a pair of runs.

Ford, hit a solo home run, his second of the season, to make it a 3-0 game.  The Owls added a single run in the sixth and three more in the seventh.  Ford, who was later thrown out at the plate, had an RBI double in a seventh inning that included run-producing singles by Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.) and Ben Fournier (Center Harbor, N.H.). Fournier finished the game with two hits.

Ford finished of the cycle with a single to right in the ninth inning. "The right fielder made a nice play of cutting the ball off down the line," said KSC Coach Ken Howe.  "If he doesn't make the play, Ford doesn't get the cycle."

Ford, who finished the game with four hits and four RBIs, was thrilled with his day at the plate.  "Hitting for the cycle is something I've dreamed about doing," said Ford, who came around to score on a single by Beau Darak (Londondery, N.H.) in the ninth.  "It was in the back of my mind when I got up in the last inning."

Freshman Mike Riley (East Hartford, Conn.) began the parade of Owl pitchers to the mound with a two inning stint.  He was followed by Julian Lugo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.), Mike Cook (Dover, Mass.), Rob DelBuono (Trumbull, Conn,) Kevin Binney (Hopedale, Mass.), and Ben Sonberg (Bow, N.H.).  Cooke got the win to improve his record to 3-0.

Keene State (16-9) will be in Manchester on Friday (1 p.m.) where they will face rival Plymouth State in a first game of a doubleheader with the Fisher Cats at Merchantsauto.com Stadium.