Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

DANBURY, Conn. – The Keene State College baseball team had a chance to take a big step forward in relation to a Little East Conference tournament spot with a league doubleheader at last place Western Connecticut State University, who entered with one LEC win in 10 tries, on Saturday.  However, for the second consecutive season, the Owls were swept by the Wolves, dropping the opener 12-5 before seeing a five-run lead vanish in the second game in a 7-6 loss.  KSC has now lost eight in a row since moving two games over .500.

Records

• Keene State:  13-19, 3-7 LEC
• Western Connecticut:  9-24, 3-9 LEC

Quotable

• "Credit Western Connecticut.  They had better energy, threw more strikes, barreled more baseballs, and they didn't play scared." – Keene State head coach Justin Blood.

How It Happened
Entering the day with a two-game lead in the loss column over the seventh, eighth, and ninth place teams in the conference, the Owls had a chance with at least one win if not two to put a stranglehold on an LEC playoff spot over the season's final two weeks.  Instead, two ugly losses later, KSC's lead over seventh-place Castleton University (who they play Tuesday at home) is now just a half game, and the Owls already lost the first matchup against the Spartans.  Western Connecticut, in eighth place, is just one game behind (two in the loss column after entering the day four back), as is Plymouth State University.

KSC gave up a run in the bottom of the first in the opener but got it back in the next half inning, only to then fall behind 11-1 in the fifth after allowing two in the second, four in the fourth, and four more in the fifth.  They never got closer than seven runs after that against a team who had been outscored by 63 runs in 10 conference games this season.  Leading 3-1, the Wolves blew the game open in the middle innings, going up 6-1 after an RBI single from Nicholas Moeller and a two-run double from Joe Gambino.  Those hits chased Jake Jachym, who allowed seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in 3.2 innings.  He walked four and did not strike out a batter.  After consecutive complete game victories earlier in the month against Plymouth State and first-place Rhode Island College, he has now allowed 13 runs (10 earned) with seven walks in his last 8.2 innings.    The Owls turned to Jack Lang out of the bullpen, but WestConn continued to pile on more runs, going up 7-1 in the fourth on an error.  Another miscue with one out in the fifth opened the gates for more, as a double from Stanley Roman made it 8-1 and Peter Coniglio's RBI single plated another.  A walk and, after another pitching change, a two-run double from Moeller made it 11-1.

The Owls finally got to WCSU starter Connor Gannon, who entered with an 8.10 ERA, in the seventh as singles from Liam Conley, Tommy Ahlers, and Hamilton Barnes loaded the bases with one out.  Jonathan Chatfield then recorded a base hit of his own to score a run, but the KSC rally stalled, as a fielder's choice grounder did plate their third run but was also the second out.  An error on a ball that should have ended the inning made it 11-4, and that was all the Owls ultimately got.

The Wolves immediately answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, and that more or less told the story of the opening game, as KSC dropped their seventh straight.

Gannon (2-5) got the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits in seven innings.  He did not walk a batter and struck out a season-high nine.

Now searching for a split, Keene State again fell behind after allowing a run in the first inning, but this time answered with a six-run fourth to take a five-run lead.  However, thanks to four errors and seven walks, that lead did not last.  WestConn immediately scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to quickly get right back within a run, aided by two KSC errors, and tied the game 6-6 in the sixth after three walks and a single to left, their only hit of the inning.

After the productive fourth inning for the Owls, which was also helped along by mistakes from Western Connecticut (three errors in the inning), their offense disappeared over the rest of the game, as they did not score again and managed only one hit, a Conley infield single in the eighth, and one walk (from Josh Beayon to start the seventh) against Orlando Swift and two relivers.  KSC struck out nine more times in this game, moving their total to 21 on the day against a pitching staff that entered with a league-worst 9.40 ERA.

Relievers Zachary Barry and Pauly DiPaterio (2-2), the latter of which allowed nine runs and 11 hits in 2.1 innings in his last appearance, combined to allow just one unearned run and two hits over the final 5.2 innings.  They walked two and struck out six.  Swift allowed five runs, only one earned, and five hits in 3.1 innings with one walk and three strikeouts.

WestConn scored what would prove to be the winning run in the bottom of the eighth when Moeller led off with a double down the left field line and scored on Riley McGuire's triple to center for a 7-6 lead.  KSC got out of the inning avoiding further trouble, but went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.

Evan Cali (2-2) took the loss, allowing a run and three hits in 2.2 innings.  He walked one and struck out two.  David Floyd got the start and allowed six hits and five runs (three earned) in four innings with one free pass and two whiffs.

Ahlers (2-4, RBI, BB, R) and Conley (2-4, RBI, R) were the only Owls with multi-hit games.  KSC had only two extra-base hits on the day (none in the opener), while WestConn had eight.

Around the Horn

• Ahlers had four hits on the day and is hitting .317 with a .412 OBP on the season.
• The Owls lead the series against WestConn 34-17, but have lost four in a row against the Wolves, who have not had a winning season or made the LEC tournament in seven years.

Up Next

• Keene State hosts Castleton (13-17, 3-8 LEC), who split with Plymouth State (losing 10-9 and winning 16-15 in eight innings) today, on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.
• WestConn visits No. 8 Eastern Connecticut State University, who they previously lost 15-0 in seven innings to on April 11, on the same day (4:00 p.m.).