GORHAM, MAINE  5/9/09 - Keene State saw its season come to an end with a 14-5 loss to Eastern Conn. State in the championship round of the Little East Baseball Tournament at the University of Southern Maine field on Saturday.

The defending champion Owls (25-16), who eliminated top seed Southern Maine earlier in the day, needed to defeat the Warriors to force a winner-take-all game on Sunday.  The Warriors (25-6), who claim their seventh LEC title, earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA regional tournament.  

"Eastern is a very good team.  We're a good team, but not a very good team right now," said KSC coach Ken Howe. "We need to get better. We played very well beating Southern Maine the top team in the country, but couldn't get by Eastern."

"That was a great ball club that we played today," said Jeff Perkins, one of five seniors on the KSC roster.  "We had a long day. We thought we would be able to hang with them, but they kept on putting runs on the scoreboard."

"It's been a great ride," Perkins said. "I made a lot of lifelong friends and that's more important than baseball."   

"Eastern is a real good team and I tip my hat to them," said Jamie Chevalier. "It was a tough way to finish the season, but I love baseball. I'm going to miss the guys in the dugout and the coaching staff. They're unbelievable guys. They taught me so much about baseball and life."  

Owl starter Cory Vogt (Suffield, Conn.) got into trouble early, giving up a RBI single to Shawn Gilblair and a three-run home by Melvin Castillo to stake the Warriors to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first.

ECSU added to its lead in the second with Travis Bass knocking in a run.  KSC went to the bullpen and brought in junior Rob Delbuono (Trumbull, Conn.), who fanned Jim Schult to end the threat.

Keene State put their first two runners on base to start the second inning.  Tyler DiPrato (Suffield. Conn.), who led off with a walk came around to score on an error by the Warrior's second baseman. The ball went beyond first base allowing DiPrato to come home, but Keith Patnode, who had singled, was out at home trying to score on the play.  Beau Darak (Londonderry, N.H.) fisted a ball out into centerfield to drive in a run to make it 5-2.

The Warriors added a single run in the third and fourth innings to go up 7-2.   ECSU continued to tack on runs every inning.  A two-out, two run double to left center by Andrew Magliola pushed the Warrior's lead up to 9-2 and a sacrifice fly by Gilblair in the sixth made it 10-2.   Jim Schult had a solo home run and Castillo blasted a two-run shot in the eighth.

Keene State scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 14-4.  DiPrato had a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left center and Cody Callahan (Seekonk, Mass.) added an RBI single.

Anthony Cipolla, DiPrato, and Kyle Morrill each had two hits for the Owls.

Castillo went 3-5 with five RBI and Gilblair, named the tournament's most outstanding player went 2-3 with a pair of RBIs for ECSU.

Vogt, the first of five Owl pitchers took the loss. He is 3-1.

Will Munson (8-0) got the win for the Warriors.