KEENE, N.H. 4/14/12 – On a day that featured 60 hits between the two ball-clubs, the Keene State baseball team swept the Rhode Island College Anchormen 13-5 and 13-8, on Saturday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex, to propel the Owls into first place in the Little East Conference standings.

The Owls, (22-7, 6-1 LEC) who have won 14-of-their-last-16 games, put up six runs in the bottom half of the eighth in both contests to runaway with twin-bill sweep.

With a 7-5 lead heading into the eighth in game one, senior designated-hitter Peter Burgio (Bolton, Conn.) gave the Owls some more cushion, cracking a three-run homer to left field. "We had guys on first and second so I was just trying to put the ball in play," said Burgio.  "I got a 3-1 count and was just sitting on a fast ball and I got a good pitch to hit."

The very next batter, senior first-baseman Larry Longo (Londonderry, N.H.) delivered a round-tripper to dead centerfield, to go back-to-back and give KSC the 13-5 win.

Senior starter Tim Thiesing (South Grafton, Mass.) went 5.2 innings and allowed four earned runs and six hits to improve to 3-0 on the year. "Timmy (Thiesing) didn't have his best stuff," said KSC head coach Ken Howe. "But he had good enough stuff to keep pounding the strike zone and we grinded out the win."

In relief, sophomore Pat Tempone (Francestown, N.H.) pitched 2.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits and striking out two. "My job is to come in and throw strikes and that's what I do every time," said Tempone.  "I was able to hold them down and the guys came through with the bats."

RIC starter C.J. Tsoumakas (Hope, RI) went 5.1 innings allowing 13 hits and seven runs with four strikeouts to drop to 2-4 on the season.

In game two, the Owls trailed 8-7 in the bottom of the eighth, Burgio evened the game at eight apiece, with an RBI single to left center, scoring Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.). In his first plate appearance of the second game after coming in as a defensive replacement, the Anchormen decided to intentionally walk Longo to get to sophomore catcher Matt Boulay (Stafford Springs, Conn.). After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Boulay delivered with a clutch two-RBI single through the right-side of the infield to give KSC the 10-8 lead.

Later in the inning, freshman shortstop Tanner Chase (York, Maine) ripped his fifth hit of the afternoon, a two-RBI double to right center to give the Owls more run production. "I took a good approach at the plate today," said Chase. "I have been trying to hit earlier in the count so I am swinging at better pitches."

Earlier in game two, RIC put up eight runs, with three coming in the top of the fourth and fifth innings. Cody Ortega (Kissimmee, Florida) and J.P. Stone (Narragansett, R.I.) each had RBI hits in the fourth and fifth innings to stake the Anchormen out to a 8-7 lead.

The KSC bullpen would take it from there, as sophomore Shawn Egan (E. Hartford, Conn.) and junior Tim Quagliaroli (Windsor Locks, Conn.) combined for 4.1 innings of shutout ball, scattering three hits, as Quagliaroli improved to 3-1 on the year in KSC's 13-8 victory.

Freshman Dylan Cummiskey (Warwick, RI) allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings for RIC, while reliever David Hoey (Lincoln, RI) pitched three innings and allowed six earned on eight hits and took the loss.

Stone went 3-for-5 at the plate for RIC in the loss with three RBI's. Four other Anchormen players had multiple hits, including Ortega who had three-RBI's and two runs scored.

Keene State returns to action tomorrow, with a non-conference contest against regional rival Babson College at 1 p.m. at Owl Athletic Complex.