KEENE, N.H. 4/10/12 – Senior Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.) went three-for-three at the plate with four RBIs and senior Nick Winn (West Hartford, Conn.) tossed seven strong innings on the mound to lead the Keene State College baseball team to a 9-2 Little East Conference victory over rival Plymouth State University at Owl Athletic Complex on Tuesday. 

Ranked fifth in New England Keene State, which has won 11 of its last 12 games, improves to 18-6 (4-1 LEC).  Plymouth State, which has lost three of its last four games, falls to 10-11 (1-4 LEC).

The Owls took advantage of a couple of Panther miscues to take a 2-0 lead.  In the first inning, senior Erik Bergstrom (Enfield, Conn.) reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on an error and scored on senior Peter Burgio's (Bolton, Conn.) RBI single to left. 

In the third, a PSU error on an attempted steal of second moved senior Greg Bates (Salem, N.H.) over to third where he scored on a sacrifice fly from Morrill.

KSC scored three more runs in the fifth to go up 5-0.  Freshman Tanner Chase (York, Me.) had a RBI single through the right side and Bates brought in a couple of runs with a single up the middle.

The Panthers scored both of their runs in the top of the seventh on junior Dave Tammaro's (Cheshire, Conn.) two-run single to right field.

The Owls answered with three run in the bottom of the inning to make it an 8-2 game.  Freshman Ian Seawards (Dover, N.H.) plated one run with a RBI single to right field.  KSC got its finals run in the eighth.  Sophomore Matt Boulay (Stafford Springs, Conn.) opened the inning with a walk and came home on Bates' triple down the right field line.

Freshman Chuck Vogt (Windsor Locks, Conn.) and Chase each finished the game with two hits.

Junior Rew Wilson (Niantic, Conn,), who started the game on the mound for PSU, also chipped in with a couple of hits as the teams' designated hitter.

Winn went seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk.  "I felt pretty good. I stuck to my game plan, using my sinker and keeping the ball down and in," said Winn, who improves to 2-0.

Winn got some help from his fielders in the first inning with Seawards making a diving catch on lead-off hitter Paul Reny's (South Portland, Me.) liner  in the first inning.

"You can't say enough about Nick's appearance today," said KSC Coach Ken Howe.  "He came out pounded the zone and gave us seven good innings." 

Sophomores Pat Tempone (Francestown, N.H.) and Vinnie Mangiagli (East Harford, Conn.) each pitched an inning of relief ball.

Wilson, 3-2 on the season, pitched the first four innings for the Panthers, allowing five runs on seven hits while fanning three and issuing one walk.  Senior Joe Hudson (Greenfield, Mas.) and sophomore Spencer Webb (Warwick, R.I.) also pitched for the Panthers.

Keene State travels to Western New England on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.