KEENE, N.H. 4/18/10 – The Keene State College baseball team split a Little East Conference doubleheader against Rhode Island College at Owl Athletic Complex on Sunday.  The Owls (14-12-1, 4-3 LEC) banged out 15 hits to take the opener 8-2.  The Anchormen (17-7, 6-1 LEC, who remain on top of the LEC standings, won the second game 6-1behind the pitching of junior Gary Levesque (East Providence, R.I.), who scattered seven hits in a complete game effort.

In the opener, the Owls jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning with senior Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.) knocking in a couple of runs with a seeing-eye single to left.

Back-to-back doubles by junior Peter Burgio (Bolton, Conn.) and sophomore Cody Callahan (Seekonk, Mass.) made it a 5-0 game.

KSC starting pitcher Jeff Raymond (Amston, Conn.) gave up his first hit of the game in the top of the fifth, a solo home run by senior Jared Rossi (Johnston, R.I.) that cut KSC's lead to 5-2.

Burgio got the run right back in the bottom of the inning with his third home run of the season.

Junior Tyler DiPrato (Suffield, Conn.) and Burgio went 3-for-4 in the game.  Burgio also had three RBIs.  Sophomore Greg Bates (Salem, N.H.), seniors Keith Patnode (Keene, N.H,) and Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.) and Callahan each had two hits.

Raymond pitched five innings to improve his record to 2-3. He gave up two runs on one hit, walking five and fanning two.  Freshman Tim Quagliaroli (Windsor Locks, Conn.) had a solid relief outing, tossing three innings of two-hit ball with a couple of strikeouts.

Senior Paul Vatter (Warwick, R.I.) took the loss for RIC.  Going to 2-1 on the season, he gave up seven runs on 13 hits with four strikeouts and two walks in his six innings on the mound. 

Levesque kept the Owl hitters at bay in the second game.  The junior pitcher struck out nine and walked one batter to improve his record to 2-0.

RIC went ahead 2-0 in the fourth on a two-run home run by Rossi, his second of the doubleheader and fifth of the season.

KSC cut the Anchormen's lead in half in the bottom of the frame. Junior Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.) was hit-by-a-pitched, moved to third on a single by Callahan and scored on an error.

RIC added two more runs in the sixth.  With one out, Rossi singled and scored on a fielder's choice.  Sophomore J.P. Stone (Narragansett, R.I.) brought home the second run with an RBI single. Stone hit an opposite-field two-run home run in the ninth, his first round-tripper of the season, to extend the Anchormen's lead to 6-1.

DiPrato and Patnode each had two more hits in the nightcap.  DiPrato finished the twinbill with five hits.

Freshman Kevin Carey (Wakefield, R.I.), junior Justin Corso (Cranston, R.I.), Stone and Rossi each had two hits for RIC in the second game.  Stone had three RBIs.

Sophomore starter Jeff Pelkey (Fitzwilliam, N.H.) took the loss for the Owls. He went the first six innings, giving up four runs on seven hits with a strikeout and two walks.

Keene State is at rival Plymouth State on Tuesday.  Rhode Island has a home game against Roger Williams on Monday.  Both games begin at 3:30 p.m.