KEENE, N.H. – David Floyd struck out the side – all looking – in a 15-pitch top of the first inning, and that set the tone for a dominant Little East Conference tournament opener for the top-seeded Keene State College baseball team, who pulverized the No. 6 seeded University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth 12-1 in a first round game Wednesday morning at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Highlights...coming soon
Postgame Interview (Justin Blood)...coming soon
Postgame Interview (David Floyd/Jonathan Chatfield)...coming soon

KSC (22-15) broke the scoring ice in the bottom of the second on a Luke Anderson RBI single, and the innings kept getting progressively bigger from there – with a four-run fourth ultimately being the backbreaker for UMass-Dartmouth (16-20), which was held to two hits by a dominant Floyd and reliever George Young.  The Owls led 3-0 into that frame before putting two on base via a walk to Anderson and single into right by Evan Cali to put runners at the corners.  After a grounder back to UMD starter Dillon Harding accounted for the second out and put runners on second and third, the Corsairs elected to intentionally walk Tommy Ahlers to bring Jonathan Chatfield up with the bases loaded.  One pitch later, the Owl first baseman delivered a crushing blow, cracking a three-run triple into the right center gap before scoring himself on an errant relay throw by Cooper Wixon as KSC took a 7-0 lead.

The lone hit Floyd allowed – a home run by Matt Tempone with one out in the top of the fifth – put the Corsairs on the board, but that proved to be nearly their only highlight of the day in what was otherwise a KSC show as they improved to 11-3 at home.  Following the homer, an error allowed Nate Bartalini to each, but Floyd got Wixon to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to immediately end the inning.

KSC put up five in the sixth to hit double-digits again and turn the game into a true runaway.  Ahlers greeted Josh Malcolm with a solo blast to left center that kept carrying before flying out of the yard to make it 8-1, and two batters later after Chatfield walked on five pitches, Zina launched a two-run shot to left to put the Owls in double-digits.  A sacrifice fly by Anderson and first-and-third steal attempt allowed Domminic Tagliaferro to easily score from third to make it 12-1 later in the inning, and KSC won their fourth straight against UMass-Dartmouth – three this year by a combined 24-2 score.

The Corsairs were mowed down by Floyd, who struck out six over the first three innings and did not allow a baserunner until Tempone's long ball.  The only other person to each against the KSC starter in his outing was Brett Baker, who took a one-out walk in the sixth, but the frame was over eight pitches later and Floyd froze Devyn Vezina and got Scott Cromack to bounce into an easy fielder's choice to short.

KSC hopes Floyd, a junior, continues to emerge, allowing just two earned runs and six hits over his last 14.2 innings while striking out 19.  He needed just 82 pitches to get through an efficient start in the tournament opener today, where the hosts improved to 14-2 in their last 16 games.

Dillon Harding (3-3) took the loss for UMD, allowing nine hits and seven runs (five earned) over five innings.  He walked three and struck out one.

The Owls will turn their sights to Thursday, when they will entertain fourth-seeded Southern Maine in a second round contest at 11:30 a.m.  The Huskies fell to Eastern Connecticut State University 3-1 at Franklin Pierce University (due to initial weather/field condition concerns) in the final game of the first day tonight and face elimination.  The Warriors and Rhode Island College, who defeated No. 2 seed University of Massachusetts-Boston 7-0 behind a 120-pitch complete game from Terry Murray after KSC's win, will meet in a winner's bracket game at 2:30 tomorrow, while UMass-Dartmouth and UMass-Boston will fight to keep their 2025 seasons alive at 9:00 a.m.  All three games tomorrow are scheduled to be played at the Owl Athletic Complex in Keene.