KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College baseball team battled back from a 4-0 first inning deficit in the second of two games Friday afternoon to tie the game at four through five innings, but the rest of the day belonged mostly to the University of Southern Maine, who posted 6-0 and 10-6 wins over the Owls at the Owl Athletic Complex in Little East Conference action.  KSC, who also has 21 freshmen on the team, recognized their 11 seniors prior to the day in a pregame ceremony.

Records

• Keene State:  13-22, 3-10 LEC
• Southern Maine:  14-17, 9-4 LEC

Postgame Interview (Coach Blood)

How It Happened
In desperate need of wins as the regular season wins down to have a chance at a Little East Conference tournament berth, the Owls' skid instead hit 11 as they allowed the opening 10 runs of the day across both games and never led.

The opener belonged to USM – more specifically Bryce Afthim, who pitched a complete game three-hitter with eight strikeouts and only one walk.  KSC was limited to three hits, all singles.  Otis Follet's line drive single to center to kick off the third was the Owls' first baserunner of the game.  The next three went down in order, two by strikeout, in what was a 2-0 game at the time.  Keene State engineered a mini rally in the fourth with Jonathan Chatfield's one out walk being followed by a single from Josh Beayon.  However, nothing came of it, and thanks to Southern Maine's three runs in the top half of that frame, it was 5-0 after four.  Keene State's final hit of the game came in the fifth when Liam Conley poked a base hit to right center with two outs.  They otherwise went down 1-2-3 in six of the nine innings and saw their final 13 hitters in a row retired.  Four of their final five outs were by K, including all three in the ninth as Afthim (4-3) cruised.

Southern Maine's three-run fourth that broke open the game and three other single-run frames proved to be more than enough offense against David Floyd (1-1), who did not register his first strikeout until the sixth inning.  He allowed five earned runs and 11 hits in 7.2 innings to take the loss, throwing 94 pitches.

Tom Vesosky, Kyle Douin, and Brogan Searle-Belanger all had three hits to pace the Huskies' offense.  Janek Luksza and Cam Seymour each drove in two runs.

The nightcap got off on the wrong foot for KSC right away, as Vesosky reached on an error on the game's first pitch and USM led 3-0 before the Owls got an out and 4-0 by the end of the top of the first (two of the runs being unearned).  This time around, KSC battled back as Jake Jachym settled in and a pair of runs in the second and fifth innings helped to tie the game at four heading into the late innings.  In the second, Beayon and Brendan Eaton began with singles and Evan Cali brought in one with his two-out base hit to right center.  Eaton then took home on what ended up being a botched rundown play by the Huskies when Cali started for second, making it 4-2.

Jachym tossed an important 1-2-3 frame in the third to keep the momentum on KSC's side, and later got out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth by striking out Arlo Pike and getting Seymour to pop out harmlessly to short to keep it a two-run game.

Mark Barrett gave the Owls a lift with one out in their half of the inning by legging out a perfectly-placed bunt single pulled down the first base line, and was followed by a big swing from Tommy Ahlers, who cracked a two-run homer to left on a 1-0 count for a 4-4 tie.  USM starter Clay Robbins then struck out the next two to prevent any further unraveling of the inning.  The tie did not last long, as Keene State was in immediate trouble in the top of the sixth after Jonathan Wilson's leadoff double and Anthony Poole's sacrifice attempt that turned into a bunt single.  A fielder's choice and sacrifice fly later in the inning put the Huskies right back on top 6-4.  After the Owls were sent down in order in their half of the frame, they found themselves down five after allowing three runs in an ugly seventh where USM had only one hit.  Their three runs were scored by batters that reached on a hit by pitch and two walks – and the final run itself came on an error on a grounder to third that seemed it would end the inning.

Southern Maine returned the favor by allowing two runs in the bottom of the seventh without KSC getting a hit to make it 9-6, but the Owls – trailing 10-6 into their trip to the plate in the eighth – saw their final seven hitters retired in order amid mounting frustrations.

Jachym (2-4) took the loss for KSC, allowing six runs (four earned) and 10 hits over 5.1 innings, striking out four.  Shea Zina allowed only one run over 2.2 frames and struck out five to keep the Owls within hailing distance.

Robbins improved to 5-2 by getting the win for Southern Maine, allowing six runs (four earned) and six hits over 6.1 innings.  He walked one and struck out seven.  The Huskies' bullpen (Lucas Francis and Matt Burnett) pitched 2.2 hitless innings and fanned two.

Ahlers was 2-for-4 and drove in two on the home run while scoring twice while Barrett was 1-for-2 and walked.  However, KSC was outhit 14-6 and had one extra-base hit on the day.

Three more Huskies had three-hit games, and they had six doubles in the second contest after recording the same number in the first game.

Up Next

• Keene State is scheduled to travel to Eastern Connecticut State University for an LEC contest on Tuesday, May 2 at 4:00 p.m.