KEENE, N.H. – Freshman Nathan Pirog struck out a career-high eight in six scoreless innings in his most impressive start to date, but the Keene State College baseball team allowed two runs in the top of the eighth after being one strike away from ending the inning and wound up tumbling to their third straight loss, 3-1 to Western New England University Wednesday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Highlights
Postgame Interview (Coach Blood)

KSC (8-12) scored their lone run in the bottom of the fourth inning on a blast to right by Jonathan Chatfield, a swing that moved him into a 10th-place tie on the all-time Owl career list, but was otherwise stymied by Jacob Hobart, who had allowed 14 runs (12 earned) and 19 hits over his last two outings that totaled a combined eight innings of work.  He pitched eight innings this afternoon alone, and needed only 85 pitches to get through the outing while allowing one run and five hits with one walk and five strikeouts.

The Owls were not without chances, including in the first inning when Evan McCue doubled and Tommy Ahlers singled with one out to put runners on the corners, but Shea Zina grounded into an inning ending double play on the first pitch of his at bat.  Fast outs became a common theme of the day, including the second inning when two of the three outs were made on two pitches.  Hobart needed only six pitches to get through the third and just 11 to get through the fourth despite allowing Chatfield's bomb that made it a 1-0 game.

One of freshman Domminic Tagliaferro's two hits on the day was a double down the line to start the fifth, but he never advanced any further as a strikeout and two non-threatening pop outs (on 10 pitches) ended the inning.

Pirog, meanwhile, was dealing to keep the 1-0 lead in tact, at one point retiring 13 Western New England (12-8) hitters in a row.  He whiffed two in the second, tossed an eight-pitch third, and fanned two more in both the fourth and fifth innings.  Pirog ran into trouble in the sixth when Jack Gamache beat a bunt single up the first base line to begin the frame, but got Canon Marshall to ground into a double play.  A pair of singles and a hit batter loaded the bases with two down and put the tying run 90 feet away, but Pirog froze Leo Paragarino on a breaking ball that nipped the inside corner to end the inning and put an exclamation mark on the longest start of his young career.

Liam Conley faced the minimum in the seventh, getting Antonio Galizia to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.  He retired the next two after a leadoff walk in the eighth, but the game changed from there, as Ryan Montini cracked a game-tying double to right center on an 0-2 pitch.  Jack Loftus followed with an RBI single two pitches later to give Western New England their first lead.

Troy Brennan later struck out Greg Nivison to end the inning and keep it a 2-1 game, but the Owls' offense could not manage much.  Pinch-hitter Evan Cali worked a one-out walk on five pitches against Hobart and then moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, but two non-threatening fly balls to right ended the inning.

WNE tacked on an insurance run in the ninth when Galizia led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on No. 9 hitter Jack Gamache's single to center.
Troy Donohue needed just 12 pitches to record his first save of the season in the ninth.  After Ahlers popped to short on the first pitch and Zina struck out swinging on four pitches, Chatfield kept the game alive with a single to center, but a grounder to second by Borenstein that forced out Chatfield at second ended the game.

KSC fell to 1-10 when scoring less than six runs in a game this season, with the lone win a 3-1 decision at Brandeis University on March 12.

The Owls continue to be burned by production from the bottom of opposing lineups, with the No. 8 hitter Galizia and Gamache combining for three hits and a walk.  Andrew Florek and Montini each went 2-for-5 with a double.

Chatfield (2-4, HR, RBI, 2 K) and Tagliaferro (2-3, 2B) were the lone Owls with multiple hits.

Conley (1-1) took the loss, allowing three hits and two runs in 1.2 innings with two walks and one strikeout.  Hobart improved to 2-1.

KSC had beaten the Golden Bears each of the last two seasons, including 5-1 two years ago in Keene.

The Owls are scheduled to visit Western Connecticut State University (5-11, 0-4 LEC) on Saturday, April 5 for a conference doubleheader that begins at noon.