NORTH DARMOUTH, MASS. 3/28/09 - The Keene State College baseball teams' defense of its LEC championship didn't get off to a good start.  The Owl dropped both ends of a Little East Conference doubleheader on the road at UMass-Dartmouth on Saturday.  The Corsairs (3-12, 2-0 LEC) won the first game 7-3 and took the night cap 5-4, scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

            "It wasn't our day," said KSC Coach Ken Howe.  "We hit the ball hard in the first game and couldn't find the holes and in the second game, we got a good start, but our relievers couldn't hold the lead."

In the first game, Keene State (8-8, 0-2 LEC) took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.) doubled and came home on a ground out.

            UMD scored three runs in the fourth and four more in the sixth to go up 7-1.

            KSC got two runs back in the seventh. With the bases loaded, Erik Bergstrom (Enfield, Conn.) had an RBI single.  Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.) followed with a walk to score another run.

            Keene State mustered just six hits in the game.

            Ben Sonberg (Bow, N.H.) (1-2) started for the Owls and took the loss.   He went 5 1/3 innings giving up six runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

            Falling behind 1-0 in the second game, the Owls scored two runs in the top of the fifth to take a 2-1 lead.  Tyler DiPrato (Suffield, Conn.) and Cody Callahan (Seekonk, Mass.) singled and moved up on a wild pitch.  They scored on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly.

            The Corsairs tied the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth.

            KSC got the lead back in the eighth with Keith Patnode (Keene, N.H.) and Diprato driving in runs.

            UMD tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth and scored the game-wining run in the ninth.  With the bases loaded the go ahead run came home on a wild pitch.

            Keene State had nine hits in the game with Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.), Patnode, and DiPrato collecting two each.

            Mike Riley (East Hartford, Conn.) gave the Owls a quality start, going seven innings. He gave up two runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Dan Wogksch (Bethel, Conn.) and Rob Delbuono (Trumbull, Conn.) followed him to the mound. Delbuono (0-2) took the loss.

            Keene State hosts Mass. College on Thursday.