KEENE, N.H. 4/18/12 – The Keene State College baseball team bounced back from  yesterday's tough Little East Conference loss to Plymouth State with a 16-8 non-conference win over Brandeis University at Owl Athletic Complex on Wednesday. The Owls sprayed 17 hits around the complex on the way to snapping a two-game skid and improving their record to 22-9. Brandeis (6-28) suffered its fourth straight loss.

"We played a little bit better and swung the bats pretty well," said KSC Coach Ken Howe, who moved several players through his line-up.  "We're in the middle of a long stretch of game and just trying to keep guys healthy and ready to go." 

Senior Larry Longo (Londonderry, N.H.) led Keene State's attack, going 4-5 with three runs and five RBIs.

The Owls didn't waste any time getting on the board, batting around and scoring seven runs in the first inning.  Senior Peter Burgio (Bolton, Conn.) got things started with a two-run triple to left center. Longo brought in another run with an RBI double. A pair of freshman also had run-producing hits in the inning.  Chuck Vogt (Windsor Lock, Conn.) doubled down the left field line to score a run and Tanner Chase (York, Me.) added a two-run single.  Junior Greg Bates (Salem, N.H.) completed the early uprising with a RBI single through the right side. 

After Brandeis scored three runs in the top of the third, KSC got one run back on a RBI single by Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.) to make it 8-3. 

Brandeis senior Sean O'Hare (Southampton, Mass.) led off the fifth inning with a solo home to cut the Owls lead to 8-4.  KSC came back with a single run in the bottom of the inning, two more runs in the sixth and a five-run seventh inning.  Longo belted a two-run home run, his third dinger of the season, in the sixth and continued his fine day  at the plate with a two-run single in the seventh.

Freshmen Ian Seawards (Dover, N.H.) and Tyler Estevez (East Hartford, Conn.), Morrill and Chase each finished the game with two hits.

Junior Pat Seaward (York, Me.), freshman Zach Bardwell (North Andover, Mass.) and Kyle Brenner Brookfield, Mass.) and O'Hare each had two hits for the Judges, who finished the game with 13 hits. 

Sophomore Shawn Egan (East Hartford, Conn.) started for the Owls and pitched two innings of one-hit ball.  Senior Kyle O'Brien (Springfield, N.H.) the third of six pitches used by Howe in the game, picked up the win, improving his record to 2-0.  He didn't allow a hit over 1.2 innings while walking a pair.

Senior Alex Tynan (Barnegat, N.J.), who couldn't get out of the first inning, took the loss for the Judges.  He is now 0-3 on the season.

Keene State hits the road for a non-conference game at Fitchburg State on Thursday (3:30 p.m.).