WORCESTER, Mass. – The Keene State College baseball team racked up 18 hits over a combined 14 offensive innings, but a pair of crooked numbers helped Clark University post 4-3 and 7-5 victories on Saturday at Granger Field.

KSC's last five losses are by one or two runs.

In the opener, the Cougars scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth to break a 3-3 tie when Troy Brennan walked a pair of batters consecutively with two outs.  It was an inning that appeared to be going nowhere for the home team, as a foul out and a groundout sent the first two down quickly.  Dom Mariani kept the inning going with a base hit, and the Owls then struggled with command from there, walking the next three, including a five-pitch walk that chase Jake Jachym (0-2), who entered at the beginning of the frame.

The Owls got baserunners on in the final two innings and had a golden chance in the top of the seventh to tie the game after Tommy Ahlers singled and stole second before moving to third on Evan Cali's sacrifice bunt.  However, consecutive fielder's choice grounders helped end the threat, with Shea Zina's ball back to Max Gitlin cutting down Ahlers at the plate trying to score.  George Young then struck out to end the game as Gitlin (4-0) finished off a complete game effort, allowing three runs and eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Zina's RBI single put KSC in front right away in the first, but Clark's first three batters all got hits as they responded to take a 3-1 lead through one as a wild pitch, error, and groundout plated all three.

The Owls tied it three innings later after Evan McCue's two-out RBI double in the second and Alec Varano's RBI single in the fourth.

In the second contest, KSC took a 2-0 lead in the first and a 3-1 advantage in the second, but a four-run third for Clark turned the tables and gave them a 5-3 lead and they never trailed again despite the Owls having a 10-6 advantage in hits.  Seven walks and two errors proved costly, nullifying a multi-hit game that included a leadoff home run for Ahlers and a 2-for-4 effort from Kyle Palardy. 

It was again free passes that got KSC into trouble that helped lead to a game-changing uprising, as Ryan Caulfield and Mariani worked walks to start the third and then executed a double-steal to put both in scoring position.  Carter Doran then cashed in, tying the game with a single into right.  A single and another walk reloaded the bases, and Michael Salzillo lofted a sacrifice fly to right to plate Doran for a 4-3 lead.  A RBI hit for Tyler Jones tacked on another later in the inning, and by that time Clark took control.
The Owls had a number of chances in the game to either extend their early lead or get back into it later, but left 10 on base.  In the seventh, Lucas Rogers' RBI double to left made it 7-5 and brought the tying run to the plate, but a comebacker to Benjamin Spencer – the first batter he faced – ended the game.

"We outhit them today, but we just can't stop giving up free 90s.  We aren't taking care of the baseball, make bad baserunning decisions and create too many offensive opportunities for our opponents via walks and hitters counts," said Keene State head coach Justin Blood.  "The beauty of the game is that things can turn around quickly.  We need to trust our approach and abilities."

KSC travels to face Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute tomorrow (Sunday, March 17) on St. Patrick's Day for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.