KEENE, N.H.  4/23/09 - The Keene State College baseball team dropped an 8-7 non-conference game to Fitchburg State at Owl Athletic Complex on Thursday afternoon.

Keene State (17-14) rallied from an 8-2 deficit late in the game.  The Owls scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a two-run single up the middle by senior Jeff Perkins (Dunbarton, N.H.) and a two-run double to right by junior Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.).

In the bottom of the eighth, Perkins led off with a triple over the centerfielder's head and came home on a sacrifice fly by senior Jamie Chevalier (Amherst, N.H.) to make it 8-7.

Sophomore Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H) singled to right to start the ninth and moved to second on a sacrifice by sophomore Tyler DiPrato (Suffield, Conn.). Sophomore Jon Barber (Brattleboro, Vt.) fanned and freshman Larry Longo (Londonderry, N.H.) grounded out to second to end the game.

The Falcons (17-14) went up 2-0 in the first inning on a lead-off home run by sophomore John Phelan (Walpole, Mass.). A batter later, senior Andy Sauer (Willington, Conn.) also went deep.

KSC tied the game in the third on a two-run single to left by Donyon.

Fitchburg scored six runs in the top of the sixth to go up 8-2.  Freshman Michal Mercier (Townsend, Mass.) drove in a run with an infield single, senior pinch hitter John Davison (Stoneham, Mass.) hit a grand slam to over the left field fence, and senior Aaron Granahan (Thomaston, Conn.) had a RBI single.

Perkins, Cipolla, and Doyon each drove in two runs for the Owls. Perkins also had three hits and scored three runs for the Owls. 

Sauer led the Falcons 12-hit attack with three hits.  Sophomore Richard Graham (Walpole, Mass.) and Granahan chipped in with two hits each.

Freshman Tim Thiesing (South Grafton, Mass.) (1-1) took the loss for the Owls. Junior Nick Ryan (Lowell, Mass.) got the win for the Falcons.  He gave up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and four walks to improve his record to 2-0.

Keene State travels to rival Plymouth State on Friday.  FSC hosts Framingham State on Saturday.