WALTHAM, Mass. – Eight pitchers combined to hold Brandeis University to just one extra-base hit and one run as the Keene State College baseball team posted their third straight win, beating the Judges 3-1 in a late-added game on Wednesday afternoon at Yetten Field, home of Waltham High School.

After scoring a combined 29 runs in their previous two victories, the Owls (3-4) used pitching – many different pitchers – and defense to get a win on this day.  Ultimately, all the offense KSC would need came across the sixth and seventh innings.  Trailing 1-0 entering the final third of the game, Evan Cali led off the sixth with an infield single and later stole second.  He advanced to third on Jonathan Chatfield's fly out and then scored on Lucas Rogers' opposite field single to right that tied the game at one.  KSC had a chance to jump in front after Anthony DiGiacomo, who had two hits on the day, doubled to put two in scoring position, but Shea Zina skied to right against reliever Cooper Gavin to end the frame.  Troy Brennan entered with a runner at second and one out in the bottom of the sixth and got out of it by striking out Mano Boutsikakis and inducing a ground ball to short from leadoff hitter Connor Crowley.  That set the stage for the Owls to take the lead in the seventh, with the bottom of the lineup beginning the threat thanks to one-out singles from No. 8 man Alec Varano and No. 9 man Luke Anderson, who combined to go 4-for-7 with a walk in the game.  Cali chopped a ball to second to advance both into scoring position with two outs, and Ahlers followed with a big hit one day after reaching the 100-hit milestone, grounding a ball up the middle to plate two for a 3-1 advantage.

Brandeis (4-6) threatened with two outs in the eighth after Danny Tambascia walked and pinch-hitter Alex Kim singled, but Joe Schlehuber got Crowley to fly to left on the first pitch to send the Owls to the ninth up two.  KSC got three hits but stranded a pair in the top of the ninth to keep it a 3-1 game.  That was plenty for Liam Conley, however, who picked up his first career save with a 1-2-3 inning that featured three fly outs.

Daniel Cantafi got the start for the Owls, tossing the first two innings and allowing one hit and one walk while whiffing three.  Sean Brennan and George Young also tossed scoreless innings, while Troy Brennan (1-0) picked up the win with his 2.1 scoreless innings where he allowed one hit and struck out three.

"We didn't have our best at-bats overall but got some timely hits," said KSC head coach Justin Blood.  "I thought our pitchers did a solid job working out of a couple of jams.  We played timely defense…classic did just enough to win the game."

Brandeis used only three arms, with Gavin (1-1) getting tagged with the loss after allowing two runs and three hits in 1.1 innings.  Starter Andrew Tringe, making his third of the year, went the first 5.2 frames, allowing one run and four hits while striking out seven.

Eddie Zanor led the Judges' offense with three hits (3-5) while Ben Kuja was 2-for-5.  Tambascia had the home team's lone extra-base hit, a double with one out in the sixth.  Dylan Walsh drove in Brandeis' only run, an RBI single with two outs in the fourth that gave his team a 1-0 lead.

DiGiacomo (2-4, 2B), Varano (2-3, BB, R), and Anderson (2-4, 2B, R) had KSC's multi-hit games, while Ahlers' pair of RBIs gives him seven in the last three contests.  Rogers is 6-for-14 with two doubles and five runs batted in over his last three starts.

The Owls are back at it with a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, visiting Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (5-4) on Saturday (March 15) at 12:00 p.m. and the United States Coast Guard Academy (4-3) on Sunday at 12:00 p.m.  RPI has won four straight since a 1-4 start, while Coast Guard ended a three-game slide with a 12-4 win at No. 18/14 Christopher Newport University today.