Box Score

KEENE, N.H. – A sacrifice fly by Jacob O'Brien in the bottom of the sixth proved to provide the game-winning run as Castleton University took the opener of a Little East Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex, shutting out Keene State over the final seven innings to post a 5-4 comeback win.  The Owls piled on the runs in the second game and led 11-6 in the fifth before it was suspended due to darkness.
 
Records

• Keene State:  1-1, 0-1 LEC
• Castleton:  1-3, 1-0 LEC 

 
How It Happened – Game One
A four-run second inning highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Trent Mayer seemed to indicate it would be a big game for the Owls at the plate, but Castleton starter Max Olmsted and reliever Matthew Deen combined to put up seven consecutive zeroes after that as the Spartans rallied for a 5-4 win after trailing 4-1.  CU, who played as the home team in Keene, saw Olmsted settle in and allow just two hits over his final three innings of work before Deen (1-0) allowed two hits and two walks but no runs over the final four innings.  He struck out six and picked up the win after his team broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the sixth.  Evan Keegan kept a double just fair down the left field line to kick off the inning and took an extra base when the ball was misplayed, which proved costly for Keene State, as he scored what turned out to be an unearned yet game-winning run when O'Brien lofted a medium-depth fly ball to center.  Trailing 5-4, the Owls put a runner on in each of the final three innings against Deen, including a single by Brendan Eaton – his fourth of the day – in the seventh and a leadoff walk to Josh Andrade in the ninth, but could not score.  In the final inning, KSC attempted to move Andrade into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Deen got the lead runner at second as the try failed.  Josh DeFrancisco was then thrown out trying to steal second as the Owl chance fizzled quickly.
 
Three of Keene State's seven hits came in a big second inning, as the first four reached including Mayer's big three-run double down the right field line.  He later crossed the plate on a base hit from leadoff man Mark Barrett to make it 4-1, but KSC never scored again.
 
Isaac Keehn started for the Owls and struggled with command, allowing five hits, four runs (three earned) and four walks in three innings.  He stuck out four.  Will Dolaher (0-1) took a tough loss as he allowed three hits and one unearned run in three frames while striking out two.  Olmsted allowed plenty of baserunners in his five innings, allowing five hits and five walks, but ultimately allowed just four runs (three earned) and struck out six.
 
How It Happened – Game Two
Seven different Owls combined for 10 hits in the opening four innings as KSC raced out to an 11-1 lead in the nightcap.  Castleton did not go away and cut the deficit in half with a five-run fourth, three of which were unearned, to make it 11-6 before the game was suspended due to darkness with the Owls about to come bat in the top of the fifth.  The game, which does count in the conference standings, will pick up where it left off when the two teams meet again Sunday in Vermont (12:00 p.m.).  The regularly scheduled non-conference doubleheader that day, with the Owls playing as the home team, will begin after the conclusion.
 
Keene State got off to a very strong start, sending 11 men to the plate in the first inning while scoring five times, chasing Spartan starter Aubrey Ramey after he recorded just one out.  The Owls added four more in the third and two in the fourth to go up 10 runs (11-1) and appeared to be well on their way before allowing a five-run fourth.  KSC starter Patrick McKeighan did not have too much trouble early, especially pitching with a big lead, and fired a 1-2-3 third as the Owls looked to get innings out of their starter, but Castleton sent 12 batters to the plate in a long fourth, helped by a pair of Owl miscues, to make it 11-6.  Then came the darkness.
 
KSC got RBIs from six different players in their first four trips to the plate, including three from Mike Collins and two each from Joe Barter and Mayer.  Collins, Barter, and Josh Andrade all had multiple hits.
 
Around the Horn

• The twinbill marked Castleton's first visit to Keene in 15 years.  Of their six road games against Keene State entering today, only four had actually been played at Owl Athletic Complex.  They have also played at nearby Alumni Field in Keene and Franklin Pierce University.
• Despite a costly throw out in the opener, KSC is 12-for-15 stealing bases this season and has already surpassed last year's 10-game total (10).
• Including a 10-for-24 showing so far in the second game, the Owls are hitting .329 as a team so far in two-plus games.  They hit .212 a year ago.

Up Next

• As mentioned, Keene State will finish the suspended game at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday (changed from Saturday) in Vermont before playing the originally scheduled pair of non-conference games against the Spartans.