KEENE, N.H.  4/25/09 - Keene State bats erupted for 37 runs, 41 hits and nine home runs on the way to trouncing Western Conn. State University 21-0 and 16-6 (7 innings) in a Little East Conference baseball doubleheader played at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday. It's the 17th and 18th time this season KSC has scored in double-digits.

The nine round-trippers give the Owls 39 on the season, breaking the record of 38 set last season. 

A sweep by Eastern Conn. over UMass-Boston will give KSC (21-14, 8-6 LEC) third place in the LEC standings. Western Conn. falls to 11-21, 3-9 LEC) and will be the seventh seed in the LEC tournament.

In the first game, the Owls banged out 20 hits and scored at least one run in every inning. Sophomore Tyler DiPrato (Suffield, Conn.) and freshman Cody Callahan (Seekonk, Mass.) had back-to-back home runs as KSC plated three runs in the second inning to go up 4-0. It was Callahan's team-leading ninth dinger of the season. A four-run third inning featured a bases-clearing double by senior Jeff Perkins (Dunbarton, N.H.).

Junior Keith Patnode (Keene, N.H.) lined a two run homer run over the right field fence, his sixth of the season, in a four-run fifth that put the Owls up 14-0.  DiPrato hit his second home run of the game and third of the season, a three-run shot in the eighth inning.

DiPrato, who finished the game with four hits and four RBIs, set a KSC record by scoring six runs in the game. "We had a great day yesterday and just continued hitting today," said DiPrato.  "The bats are hot, so hopefully we'll continue it going into the tournament."

Callahan also had a big day at the plate with four hits and four RBIs while Perkins and Patnode each drove in three runs.

Owl starter junior Jeff Raymond (Amston, Conn.) was the recipient of all the offensive support.  He tossed seven innings of four hit ball, fanning three and walking one, to improve his record to 3-1.

Junior Miles Scribner (Washington, Conn.) (1-3) took the loss for the Colonials.

KSC collected 20 more hits in the nightcap.  Picking up where they left off in the opener, the Owls scored seven runs in the first inning of the second game.  Junior Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.), sophomore Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.), and senior Beau Darak (Londonderry, N.H.) had run-producing hits and freshman Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.) capped the inning with a three-run home run  to center.  Morrill had a grand slam yesterday against Plymouth.

Doyon had a two run home run in the second putting KSC ahead 9-0. 

Freshman Tommy Coppola (Monroe, Conn.) had a solo shot for WCSU in the third. KSC got the run right back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Perkins. 

The Colonials scored four in the top of the fourth to make it a 10-5 game.  Sophomore Zach Deandera (Wanaque, N.J.) had a RBI single and senior Matt Perper (New City, N.Y.) connected for a three-run home run.

Cipolla led off the fourth with his third home run in the last three games.  KSC put the game away with five more runs in the sixth that featured Doyons's second home run of the game, and a two-run double by Patnode.

Doyon finished the game with four hits and four RBIs.  DiPrato had three more hits, giving him seven in the twin bill.  Patnode also chipped in with three hits.  Morrill added two hits and three RBIs and while senior Jaime Chevalier (Amherst, N.H.), Cipolla and Darak each had two hits.

Coppola had two of the Colonials seven hits in the game.

Freshman Jeff Pelkey (Fitzwilliam, N.H.) got the win (4-1) for KSC. He gave up six runs (four earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

Freshman Matt Corcoran (New Milford, Conn.) stared for WCSU and took the loss (0-1).