MANSFIELD, CONN. 5/13/10 – Prior to the start of Keene State College's opening-round Little East Conference tournament baseball game against UMass-Dartmouth, Owl Coach Ken Howe assembled his players together and told them it was the start of their second season.

The second seeded Owls began their second season on a bright note with a 6-1 win over fifth seed UMass-Dartmouth at Eastern Baseball Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Keene State (26-13-1) will play #4 UMass-Boston on Friday at 1:15 p.m. The Beacons defeated #3 Rhode Island College 11-0 in its opening game. UMass-Dartmouth (20-18) will face #6 Southern Maine later today (7:45 p.m.) with the loser going home from the six-team, double-elimination tournament.

“Winning the first game is real important in this type of tournament format,” said Howe.  “Now the guys can chill out and get ready for tomorrow.”

The game was scoreless until the third inning when Keene State put three runs on the board.  After one run scored on an error, junior Peter Burgio (Bolton, Conn.) singled through the left side to score the second run.  A fielder's choice brought home the third run.

The Corsairs got their only run of the game in the sixth when Jeff Macchi tripled and scored on a ground out.

Sophomore Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.), the Owls No. 9 hitter, made it a 5-1 game in the bottom of the inning with an opposite field two-run home run to right. “It was on the outside corner and I just put a good swing on it,” said Morrill about his sixth home run of the season.  “It was big to get some insurance runs at the stage of the game.”

Keene starter Dan Nelson (Glastonbury, CT) carried a 5-1 lead into the seventh before giving the ball to freshman reliever Tim Quagliaroli (Windsor Locks, CT) after the first two UMD batters reached safely on a double and single. With runners on second and third, Quagliaroli got two infield pop-ups before giving way to Corey Vogt (Suffield, CT).  After walking the bases loaded. Vogt got No. 5 hitter Matt Ryan (Uxbridge, MA) on a called strike to end the inning.

 “There were two outs, so all I wanted to do was come in, pound the strike zone, and get the final out,” said Vogt. “Winning the first game sets the tone for the rest of the tournament and gives us a lot of confidence.”  

Burgio drive over the fence in centerfield in the bottom of the seventh accounted for the Owls' final run.  It was his sixth home run of the season.

Before tiring in the seventh, Nelson gave KSC a quality start.  He scattered nine hits over six innings, fanning three and giving up one walk to improve his record to 6-0.  “I felt very confident going into the game because I had a good outing against them earlier,” said Nelson. 

Junior Ed Lacourse (Manchester, N.H.) followed Vogt to the hill and pitched the final one and a third innings. 

Senior Jesse Cahill went 3-for-5 and Burgio had a couple of hits for KSC. Ryan McDermott had three of the Corsairs' 10 hits. 

KSC, which concluded its regular season by sweeping UMD (8-7, 12-0) have won three straight against the Corsairs. 

Keene State is looking for its second LEC championship. The Owls won the title in 2008.