KEENE, N.H. – A seven-run, nine-hit bottom of the third inning gave the Keene State College baseball team a commanding lead and sophomore Joe Schlehuber tossed five solid innings as the Owls had no trouble dispatching Worcester State University 9-2 on Wednesday afternoon in a non-conference contest at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Records

• Keene State:  18-20
• Worcester State:  8-25

Postgame Interview (Coach Blood)
Postgame Interview (Evan McCue)

How It Happened
In a game that provided an opportunity to bounce back from a disappointing Tuesday loss, the Owls took advantage, improving to 6-2 at home ahead of Friday's final regular season doubleheader against Plymouth State University in which they will look to clinch a Little East Conference tournament spot with one win.

It was the first ever trip to Keene for the Lancers on this day, and the drama of the outcome was removed relatively early, as the Owls at one point in their seven-run third inning saw eight consecutive batters record hits including seven in a row that drove in a run as it went from a scoreless game to a 7-0 lead in a hurry, all with two outs.  The frame began with Evan McCue getting a single to drop into left center, but Emmett Borenstein grounded into a fielder's choice and Hamilton Barnes struck out for a quick two outs.  The third out did not come until after KSC's barrage, as Tommy Ahlers' hard-hit single into left opened the scoring and proved to be the first of many.  Brendan Eaton and Otis Follet followed with RBI knocks to make it 3-0, and Shea Zina beat out his grounder to second on what would have been a tough play to make it 4-0.  Alec Varano completed a trip around the lineup for KSC, making it a 5-0 lead, and McCue's second hit of the inning tacked on another.  Facing their second reliever of the inning, Mike Bean, Borenstein got in on the fun, lining a run-scoring single to center for a 7-0 Owl lead.

Four KSC pitchers were able to take it from there, as Schlehuber (1-0) got the win with five scoreless innings in which he allowed five hits and struck out two without a walk.  He threw 63 pitches.  Dylan Ellison tossed 1.2 scoreless frames later, whiffing a pair, and Troy Brennan tossed a rapid seven-pitch ninth inning to wrap up the win.
Joseph Morgan started for the Lancers and pitched two scoreless frames with two K's, but Tedy Cove (0-1) was tattooed, allowing eight hits and seven runs while getting two outs and the loss.

KSC made it 8-0 in the fifth when Borenstein added another RBI single to his ledger.

Worcester State got two back in the seventh on a Kevin Doyle run-scoring double and a wild pitch, but Lucas Rogers cracked an RBI double in the bottom half to answer for a 9-2 lead.

Ten different Owls recorded a hit in their 14-hit attack, including multiple from Evan Cali (2-3, R), Ahlers (2-4, RBI, R), McCue (2-3, RBI), and Borenstein (2-4, 2 RBI, R).  Rogers doubled and Ahlers tripled.

Doyle and Ryan Jewett combined to go 5-for-9 with an RBI out of the top two spots in Worcester State's lineup, but the visitors otherwise had only two hits.
The Owls started the season 4-11 and are 14-9 since, but perhaps their two most important games loom on Friday (12:00 p.m.) as they welcome Plymouth State University.  One win would qualify KSC for the Little East tournament for the first time since 2017.  Seniors Zach Corrado and Dominic Fanizzi will be honored in a ceremony prior to the games.