MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Brendan Eaton and the Keene State College baseball team came up with a clutch hit when they were down to their final out to tie the game in the top of the ninth, but the Owls then could not score with two men in scoring position and nobody out in the tenth as they eventually suffered a tough 4-3 loss to Westminster College (Pa.) at Griffith Field in Myrtle Beach Wednesday night.

Records

• Keene State:  0-8
• Westminster (Pa.):  3-2

How It Happened
Keene State got a solid eight innings of work from Brendan Muhs and Will Dolaher, who allowed three runs on five hits while walking one and striking out seven, but could not overcome stranding 16 baserunners as they lost their 14th straight – four by one run – dating back to last season.  Nathaniel Hudson upped his season batting average to .455 (10-for-22) with a 3-for-5 performance that included a double and a walk.  Eaton (2-5, RBI) and Michael Montembeault (2-4, RBI, BB) were other Owls to post multiple hits, but past those three, KSC had just two other singles.  Hudson has six of Keene State's 15 doubles on the season overall.

Ryan Jolin, out of the eight spot in Westminster's lineup, went 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and a pair of RBI, including a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the 10th to be the hero for Westminster.  Phil Nichols left two on to escape the ninth to force extras, but walked the leadoff man Austin Webb to begin the 10th, which came back to bite the Owls.  He retired two of the next three, but then hit Jake Dockum with a pitch to fill the bases before Jolin came through.

After KSC came through after being down to their last out in the ninth, they let a golden chance in the 10th to take their first lead since the fifth inning slip away.  Montembeault began the frame with a single and was pinch-ran for by Eli Oliver before Wyatt Daft worked a walk.  Both then swiped bases to put two in scoring position with nobody out, but a ground out and two strikeouts excluding an intentional walk to Hudson ended the inning just that fast, easily the most frustrating squander of a night that had several.  The Owls left two on in the second, fifth, and ninth, and three on in the eighth and tenth, totaling eight in the final three frames.

Still searching for their first win of the season, Keene State did take a 2-1 lead on Joe Barter's RBI double in the third and Montembeault's RBI single in the fourth – both unearned runs surrendered by the Titans, who made three errors (KSC 4) – but their advantage was gone after a sloppy bottom of the fifth.  Down 3-2, Keene State went quietly in the sixth and seventh before leaving the bags full in the eighth.  It seemed Logan Minch, who was charged with a blown save after entering in the ninth but wound up getting the win, would wiggle out of a jam in the ninth, but Eaton had other ideas with a two-out double that plated Hudson with the tying run.  Those types of hits have been mostly elusive for the Owls this season, who are hitting just .208 on the year overall and entered below .200 with runners in scoring position.

Muhs went six innings for Keene State, the longest any Owl starter has gone, allowing three runs and four hits while walking one and striking out six.  Will Dolaher allowed just one hit in two frames.  Phil Nichols (0-1) took the loss in relief.

Logan Exler lasted four innings for Westminster, allowing two unearned runs, three hits, and two walks while striking out two.  The Titan bullpen made it work in the end, covering the final six innings and limiting the Owls to one run despite allowing 12 baserunners.

Around the Horn

• The Owls have three one-run losses this season.
• KSC won the only previous meeting between the teams 9-6 in Kissimmee, Fla. in 2019.

Up Next

• Keene State gets another crack at Salem State University (5-2), this time in Myrtle Beach, tomorrow (March 17) at 3:30 p.m.
• Westminster closes their Myrtle Beach trip with two against Framingham State University (1-6) on Friday at 12:00 p.m.