WHITTIER, Calif. – If one only looked at half of Sunday afternoon's box score, they might figure it was a productive day for the Keene State College baseball team.  Thirteen runs, 15 hits, a triple and two home runs.  A six-run top of the first that included a grand slam.  Eleven different players recorded a hit.  But then there was the other half, as the Owls allowed 30 runs and 26 hits, including 18 runs over the first two innings, as they fell to Whittier College by a football-like score of 30-13 at Hugh Mendez Stadium.

KSC (3-4), which had swept Methodist University in North Carolina last weekend, comes home feeling far different this weekend after going winless in four games over three days in California.  The Owls dropped the opener 9-8 in ten innings to California Lutheran University despite coming from five down in the ninth to tie the game and then were swept in a doubleheader 15-0 and 5-4 by the Kingsmen yesterday.  Today provided a chance to enjoy a happy flight back, as they were taking on a Poets team that has not had a winning season since 2018 and entered the day 3-11.

The Owls got off to a blazing start, putting up six runs in the top of the first including a Cody Quinn grand slam with two down to cap the scoring.  But the bottom half of the inning got off to a foreboding start as Coehn Nakasone walked, moved up two bases on an error, and then scored on a single into right.  After a groundout, two more run scoring hits followed as it was quickly 6-3.  A passed ball and a walk later and KSC starter Joe Schlehuber was pulled for Sean Egan.  Collin O'Driscoll then took a bases loaded free pass to make it 6-4, and things were unraveling quickly for the Owls, as Rayden Miguel's two-run double two batters later erased the Owls' lead completely.  The Poets kept going, taking the lead on a sacrifice fly before Alex Jasso's two-run double made it 9-6.  An error and an unearned run put the home team in double-digits before the first inning was over.

KSC remained engaged, as Derek Finlay led off the top of the second with his second home run of the season and Mitchell Coffey's RBI single into right later in the inning made it 10-8, but Whittier answered back with a second consecutive gigantic number – scoring eight more times to lead 18-8 after only two innings.

The Owls got as close as 19-13 after two-run singles by Otis Follet and Evan Cali in the fifth before Follet tripled and scored on Quinn's sacrifice fly in the sixth, but O'Driscoll hit a two-run shot – one of five Whittier home runs on the day – to get two back in the bottom half and put them at 20 runs.  They added four in the seventh and five in the eighth to finish off handing the Owls an ugly loss.
"Not a great way to finish the trip," said Keene State head coach Justin Blood.  "We jumped out early and could not hold the lead for a half inning.  We struggled to command the zone and own the plate all weekend.  We have much work to do on the mound, in the field, and on the basepaths."

Adding to the issues, seven Owl arms walked six and hit six batters to give the Poets 12 free baserunners.  On the weekend, KSC allowed 59 runs and opponents are hitting .364 against the staff through seven games.

Whittier, who entered the day hitting .240 as a team in 14 games, raised their team batting average by 27 points after going 26-for-49 at the plate, including swatting five doubles and five home runs.
Schlehuber (0-1) took the loss for KSC, allowing three hits and five runs (three earned) while getting one out.

Troy Simmonds (1-1) got the win for Whittier, allowing five hits and four runs in 2.1 innings, though Owen Moore was the Poets' most effective pitcher, allowing one run and six hits over the final five innings while walking one and striking out seven.

Quinn finished with five RBI on the day, while Follet, Luke Anderson, Coffey, and Jack Harmon all had multi-hit games.

Keene State returns home and will travel to Middlebury College (3-2) for a road contest against the Panthers on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.