MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Keene State College baseball team fell into a six-run deficit in the second inning and never got closer than five after that as they closed their second consecutive trip to Myrtle Beach with a 14-5 loss to Suffolk University Thursday morning at Griffith Field.

Records

• Keene State:  4-5
• Suffolk:  3-4

Postgame Interview (Coach Blood)

How It Happened
An up-and-down trip that Owls head coach Justin Blood characterized as having a lot of ups and downs – perhaps to be expected with a team that has 21 freshmen on it – ended on a substantial down note, as KSC allowed 14 hits (six doubles) on the mound and stranded 10 men on base as they ended the trip by losing to Suffolk for the second consecutive year.

The Rams went down 1-2-3 in the first against Keene State starter Shea Zina, but that wound up being one of only two innings they did not have major traffic on the bases against what wound up being six different Owl pitchers.

Keene State actually had a chance to jump out to an early lead in the home half of the first when Hamilton Barnes, who has become a fixture in the leadoff spot, walked, and then moved to third on Nathaniel Hudson's single (and subsequent advance on the throw) as the Owls put two in scoring position right away against Suffolk starter Caleb Piwnicki, who was making his first start of the season.  However, much like the up-and-down trip, KSC has also been up-and-down hitting with runners in scoring position, and they could not cash in on the opportunity as Brendan Eaton lined out to second and a strikeout and ground out to second came next.

It was downhill in a hurry to start the top of the second, as a leadoff single was followed by three consecutive walks as Suffolk got on the scoreboard first.  The very next batter, Corey Frassica, made the other two free passes hurt as well with a two-run double that sliced down the right field line, making it 3-0 and chasing Zina.  The Rams were not done there, as Max Iorio skied to right to bring home a fourth run and Garrett Roberts did the same two batters later before Harry Painter lined a double into the left field corner to make it 6-0.  Roberts finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and drove in four runs on the day.  Frassica and Iorio each drove him two, as did Timothy McCarthy.  Painter also had a pair of doubles.

The Owls did get one run back in the second when Brice Waldron connected for a one-out single to right and eventually scored on another double from Tommy Ahlers, his fourth of the season and the seventeenth for the team.  However, Piwnicki grew stronger as the afternoon went on and got through seven innings on 108 pitches (73 strikes) while striking out 10.  Keene State was not without occasional chances – as he also allowed five hits and walked four – but hit .211 (4-for-19) with runners on base on the afternoon.  Ahlers walked and Hudson singled to short to put two runners on in the fifth in a 7-1 game, but a 6-4-3 double play quickly ended that inning.  Evan McCue's base hit in the sixth was otherwise surrounded by three outs, and Piwnicki then got through the seventh with only allowing a two-out walk to Quin Barton in his first collegiate plate appearance.

Down 10-1 in the eighth, KSC made a last ditch rally attempt that was substantially aided by wildness of reliever Jake Washock, who hit two batters and walked two others consecutively to start the inning.  Waldron followed with a single to make it 10-3 and a fielder's choice grounder from Ahlers with the bases loaded brought home a fourth run.  Barton worked another walk to load the bases with two outs in a 10-4 game, and the next reliever Billy Beneke then entered and issues a free pass of his own to Nate Hudson to make it a five-run game, but he struck out Mark Barrett to end the inning.

Keene State returned the favor with an ugly inning of their own as Suffolk got all four runs back in the ninth to take a 14-5 lead culminating with a Roberts two-run double, and that more or less wrapped up the Owls' southern excursion.

Zina (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on two hits in one-plus innings.  He walked three and struck out one.  Sean Brennan (2.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 K) and Kyle Palardy (1.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 K) calmed the game down after to give KSC a possible shot at a rally, but it never came.

Hudson went 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI at the plate for the Owls.  Waldron (2-3, RBI, BB, 2 R) also reached base three times, while McCue was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Ahlers was 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI and took a free pass.  The Owls overall took eight walks at the plate in the game, but remarkably only two of them scored.

Around the Horn

• McCue is eight for his last 17 (.471) with three RBI.
• Brennan and Brandon St. Gelais each made their career debuts on the mound in the game, while Zach Corrado made his first appearance this season after an injury last year.
• KSC has lost four straight in the series (over the last 10 years), allowing 48 runs in those games.  Their last win came in 2011 when they obliterated the Rams 14-0 in Florida.

Up Next

• The Owls return to perhaps a wintrier scene in New England and will have a quick turnaround, traveling to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (5-4-1) on Saturday (March 18) for a doubleheader that starts at 12:00 p.m.
• Suffolk, who won four of their final five in Myrtle Beach after getting handled by Pennsylvania College of Technology and Worcester State University, travels to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (6-5) on Monday, March 20 for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch.