AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Sean Beaver struck out eight over five innings and then his relievers worked around allowing five hits in the last four innings as 20th-ranked Webster University handed the Keene State College baseball team a second consecutive 3-1 loss Sunday at the Lake Myrtle Sports Park.

Records

• Keene State:  1-8
• No. 20 Webster:  8-5

How It Happened

KSC has allowed just eight runs over their previous three games, including one earned run today, but the offense has struggled to cash in while losing two low-scoring games in a row.  The Owls stranded 11 runners in yesterday's 3-1 loss to Juniata College and then seven more in this game, three of which came in the final two innings.  Webster, playing as the home team, struck first in the opening inning after Garrett Davis doubled and stole third with one out before scoring on an error on Joe Swanson's grounder to short.  Keene State had a baserunner in each of the second, fourth and fifth innings, with Tom Meucci's single in the fourth being the Owls' first leadoff batter to reach base, but Beaver never let anybody past first base in his outing.  He was taken out and replaced by Andrew Padilla in the sixth, and KSC subsequently tied the game at one after Meucci doubled to right for his second hit of the day and eventually scored on Connor Walsh's key two-out single that found its way into left.

Small ball provided the Gorloks the lead again in the bottom of the seventh.  Kyler Kent started the frame with a single down the right field line and he moved up on Matt Staker's bunt single.  A grounder to third for the second out put two in scoring position, and that proved to be important, as Adam Lovell put down a bunt of his own that scored Kent for a 2-1 lead.  A second run came in after Brian Vieira's throw got away.  Trailing by two (3-1), Keene State put a runner in scoring position in each of the final two innings.  Ryan Linehan began the eighth with a base hit to left and later moved up to second on Jake McMaster's single with two outs as the tying run reached base, but a liner to center by Walsh was caught by Aron Hopp to end the inning.  In the ninth, Tyler Gammie poked a one-out single to right and moved to second on Jake Anderson's wild pitch, but a strikeout and a ground ball to third base ended the game and gave Webster a third consecutive victory and KSC a second frustrating loss in a row.

Gregory Esposito got the start for the Owls and went the first four innings, allowing one run (unearned) and two hits.  He struck out one and walked one.  Vieira (0-2) took the loss out of the bullpen, as he allowed two runs (one earned) and three hits over three innings.  Padilla (1-0) allowed a run and two hits over his two innings of relief, but picked up the win.  Anderson pitched the ninth for his first save.

Meucci and Gammie each went 2-for-4 at the plate for Keene State, while Walsh drove in the lone run.  The Owls had seven hits overall (Webster six).  Davis went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored for Webster, while Lovell was 2-for-3 with an RBI.  The Gorloks stole five bases in the game, all from different players, and were caught only once.

Around the Horn

• Of the 13 total hits in the game, only two went for extra bases (Meucci double, Davis double).
• Gammie is 6-for-11 over the past three games.
• KSC has pitched to a 3.19 ERA in Florida.  The Gorloks had scored 36 runs in their past three games before being held to three today.
• Webster, located in St. Louis and a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, has won over 30 games in 10 of the past 13 seasons and has made four NCAA Division III College World Series appearances since 2012 (2012, 2013, 2015, 2019).

Up Next

• Keene State takes on Nichols College tomorrow, March 16, at 1:00 pm in Auburndale.
• Webster concluded their Florida trip today and is scheduled, as of now, to host Spalding University (11-3) for a doubleheader on March 25 at 2:00 pm ET.