KEENE, N.H., 4/20/08 - Keene State swept a Little East Conference doubleheader against UMass-Dartmouth at Owl Athletic Complex on Sunday.  KSC collected 16 hits in a 14-2 win in the opener.  Senior Greg Ford (Nashua, N.H.) made a run-saving catch and then picked the save in a come-from-behind 5-4 victory in the nightcap.

            Winners of 11 straight, the #19 ranked Owls (24-5, 9-1 LEC) set a record for consecutive wins, breaking the previous mark (10) set last season. UMass-Dartmouth falls to 3-25 (1-9 LEC).

            The Owls broke open the first game with a six-hit, six-run third inning.  Ford had a two-run triple, Beau Darak (Londonderry, N.H.) added a RBI double and Jeff Perkins (Dunbarton, N.H.) and Joe Rousseau (Nashua, N.H.) contributed RBI singles. John Barber (Brattleboro, Vt.) had a two-run double in a five run eighth inning.

            Five Owls, Rousseau, Jamie Chevalier (Amherst, N.H.), Tyler DiPrato (Suffield, Conn.), Ford, and Darak had two hits each.

            Owl starter Ben Sonberg (Bow, N.H.) remains undefeated (3-0).  He went six solid innings, not allowing a run, giving up five hits with a couple of strikeouts.

            Chris Contre (East Bridgewater, Mass.) took the loss for UMD.

            After scoring 10 or more runs in four of its last five games, KSC found itself trailing 4-0 after fiving innings in the nightcap.

            Owl bats came alive with a four run sixth inning.  Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.) and DiPrato had RBI singles and Ryan Jones (Nashua, N.H.) had a two-run double.

            Ford made the first of his two saves for the Owls in the top of the seventh inning.  With two outs and a runner on third, the senior right fielder made a diving catch on a line drive off the bat of Dave McGuire to prevent the Corsairs from scoring.

            "The ball was hit sharply, so I knew I had to dive to make the catch," said Ford.  "Fortunately the ball landed in my glove."

            KSC scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning.  With two outs, the freshmen duo of Doyon and DiPrato combined to give the Owls the lead with back-to-back doubles to right field.  "I thought about having DiPrato bunt in that situation, but he's been hot at the bat,' said KSC Coach Ken Howe.

            "I was just looking for a pitch I could drive," said DiPrato about his game-winning hit.

            Ford got his second save of the game when he took over on the mound for Rob Delbuono (Trumbull, Conn.) in the eighth.  With a runner, on second, he struck out Carlos Sanchez and got the Corsairs in order in the ninth to notch his sixth save of the season.

            "In the eighth, I knew we needed the strikeout, so I just fed him fastballs," said Ford.  In the ninth, I just let my defense behind me do the work."

            Sophomore starter Mike Riley (East Harford, Conn.) got the win (2-1).  He gave up four runs on nine hits with three walks and strikeouts.

            Jeff Macchi (Franklin, Mass.) had three hits for the Corsairs.   Brian Pedrotti was the losing pitcher.

            KSC is off until Wednesday when its travels to Western New England.