Box Score KEENE, N.H. – The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth hit three doubles and three triples and plated 11 of their 13 runs in the opening four innings while moving closer to ensuring a Little East Conference playoff berth after a commanding 13-2, run-rule win over the Keene State College baseball team on Thursday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex. KSC was playing for the first time since April 23, with this marking the first of seven scheduled games in five days to close the season.
Records
- Keene State: 3-14, 2-8 LEC
- UMass-Dartmouth: 8-12, 6-7 LEC
How It Happened
It was not the start to the jam-packed ending to the season that KSC was hoping for, especially with a pair of weekend doubleheaders looming, as UMass-Dartmouth scored before the Owls got the first out and that was just the beginning. Erick Ramirez led off the game with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on JR DiSarcina's single to right for a quick 1-0 lead. Keene State starter
Isaac Keehn rebounded to strikeout DJ Perron and Mike Knell, two of his five on the day, but Jose Vasquez brought home a two-out run to make it 2-0. KSC has given up a first inning run in 12 of 17 games this season. The Owls did not have an answer in their ups, going down 1-2-3 quickly, and the Corsairs then piled on four more runs to make it 6-0 in the second. DiSarcina drove in two more with a double to right and Perron followed with an RBI triple as UMD wore out the outfield all day. The Corsairs have scored in double-figures three times on the season, twice against Keene State. The 13 runs matched a season-high. Six of their 14 hits were a double or a triple. They had two triples in their previous 19 games this season before the three today.
Keene State drove up the pitch count of Corsair starter Ryan Bruning, as he needed 87 pitches to get through four innings and did not go long enough to get the win, but the Owls' only runs on the afternoon came in the bottom of the fourth after
Trent Mayer worked a bases loaded walk and a
Josh DeFrancisco cracked an RBI single that made it 11-2. It was the top half of that same inning that was likely the back-breaker for the Owls, as Keehn got a pair of flyouts sandwiched around a pair of singles to start it off. He was lifted after walking Mitch Baker to fill the bases, but KSC needed just one out to escape the jam still within shouting distance at 6-0, but instead UMD scored five times with two outs, the big blow being Tucker Hetherman's bases-clearing double to the right center gap.
Aside from the fourth, Keene State had multiple baserunners reach in an inning just one other time – in the third – as the Corsairs were able to cruise most of the way. Freshman Chase Carey (2-0) got the win after tossing the final three innings, allowing just one hit while fanning two. Bruning allowed two runs, five hits and struck out four in his four innings. DeSarcina and Perron each finished 3-for-5 for UMD and combined to drive in five runs. Perron, hitting .370, finished 9-for-13 against the Owls this season.
Keehn (2-2) took the loss, surrendering nine runs (nine earned) in 3.2 innings. DeFrancisco finished 2-for-4 and drove in Keene State's lone run.
Josh Andrade doubled and walked, but KSC was outhit 14-6.
Around the Horn
- Barter singled today and now has a hit in five of his past six games. He has raised his batting average from .243 to .308.
- The loss likely requires KSC to win at least five of their remaining six games to have a shot at the sixth and final LEC tournament playoff spot that Castleton University currently occupies at 6-8. The Owls do not have the tiebreaker with them or UMass-Dartmouth.
- Keene State leads the all-time series against the Corsairs 29-25, but has lost six in a row, three this year, and 12 of the past 14.
Up Next
- Keene State visits 17th-ranked Eastern Connecticut State University (26-4, 12-1 LEC), who is looking to wrap up the league regular season title over the next few days, tomorrow (Friday, April 7) at 4:00 p.m.
- UMass-Dartmouth is also in action tomorrow, hosting Western Connecticut State University (2-12, 2-11 LEC) for a doubleheader starting at 12:30 p.m.
