KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College baseball team saw a 3-0 first inning lead turn into a 9-4 deficit by the fifth inning.  For certain teams, that might spell the end of their hopes for the day.  But with a high-powered offense that continues to hit nearly .340 as a team on the season, there is often not a reason to panic.  That proved to be the case again Tuesday at the Owl Athletic Complex, as KSC scored five times in the fifth to rapidly erase their five-run deficit, three more in the sixth, and three more in the seventh as they went on to post a 15-13 non-conference win over Mitchell College.

A whopping eight different Owls had multiple hits, including three-hit games for Evan Cali, Ethan Rainha, and Luke Anderson.  Rainha doubled and tripled, and continues to come up with clutch hits following his grand slam at home on Saturday, including an RBI triple in the first that made it 3-0 and a run-scoring double that was about a foot fair down the left field line that made it 13-11.  Anderson also continues to come up big, including a two-run double in the fifth in KSC's game-tying rally.  He also added an RBI singles to center in both the sixth and seventh, driving in a team-high four runs on the day.  Otis Follet was also among the multi-hit brigade, including a towering go-ahead home run to the opposite field nearly over the trees to lead off the sixth that put the Owls back in front 10-9.  The four through nine spots in KSC's potent order combined to go 14-for-26 (.538) and drove in 12 of the team's 15 runs, also waking three times.  Keene State entered the week hitting .339 in a whopping 380 opportunities with runners in scoring position (opponents have had 291), and have now scored in double-digits 12 times in 26 games.  They have been held to fewer than five runs only three times.

Six Mitchell (21-9) arms found out about the Owls' offense very quickly, as Cali and Jonathan Chatfield singled within the first three batters (with Chatfield advancing on the throw) to put two in scoring position before Follet got KSC going with a two-run single.  Rainha's triple later in the inning made it 3-0, but the Mariners had the first five reach in the second and answered with three of their own.  Anderson took ball four to begin the bottom half and scored two batters later on Cali's double into the right center gap as KSC went ahead 4-3.  The score stayed that way until the fifth, and after the Owls stranded the bases loaded in the fourth, Mitchell put up a big inning to change the feel of the game.  The inning began with Christopher Piscione's infield single to second before Michael Ficocelli hit a double to deep center.  Chas Terni then popped up, but pinch-hitter Savier Paige laid down a perfect squeeze bunt for a base hit to tie the game.  Angel Rodriguez Cruz followed with a two-run double down the left field line to put the Mariners ahead for the first time, and KSC could not stop the bleeding, as Troy Brennan entered and saw Kenneth Miller single before Nicholas Bracale mashed a three-run shot to left center to suddenly make it 9-4.

But the visitors' lead did not even last the bottom half, as Domminic Tagliaferro sparked the uprising with a one-out single before Rainha and McCue followed with singles that helped score him.  Anderson then hit the left center gap for a two-run double, and KSC kept going, as Derek Finlay reached on an error before Cali rolled a single into right to make it 9-8.  Chatfield tied the game with a sacrifice fly two batters later.

Brennan bounced back with a clean sixth despite a leadoff hit by pitch as Cali ended the inning by throwing out Terni trying to steal second, and Follet hit Mitchell with a lightning bolt three pitches into the bottom half.  After Tagliaferro flied to right, Rainha worked a walk and later scored on Anderson's second hit in as many innings.  An error by Cruz and third on Finlay's grounder helped KSC lead 12-9 through six.

As was clear, no lead was safe in this one, as the Mariners got two right back with Bracale – who had three hits and drove in five runs – swatting a line drive double into right center to make it 12-10 before Jake Jachym entered and Johnny Brucato's sacrifice fly made it a one-run game once again.

KSC kept hammering away, though, as Chatfield singled to begin the seventh and the Owls later tacked on three runs with two outs, including Rainha's double and RBI singles by Anderson and Finlay.

Jachym worked around a leadoff single in the eighth for a scoreless inning, including freezing Terni and getting Paige to bounce into a harmless fielder's choice.  An error, two hit batters, and a walk opened the door for a last-ditch comeback for Mitchell in the ninth as KSC turned to Trey Kuzmeski to get the final out with the trying run on first.  Ficocelli then walked on five pitches to move it into scoring position, but Kuzmeski got Terni to fan on a sharp breaking ball to close the Owls' eighth win in the past nine games.  KSC began the season 3-0, then went just 1-8 in a nine-game stretch before now rebounding for an 11-3 mark in their last 14 games.

Keene State closes their homestand tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, April 15) when they take on the University of Hartford (14-9-1, 8-2 CNE).  First pitch is at 3:00 p.m.  The Owls then travel to Eastern Connecticut State University for an important conference doubleheader on Saturday in a rematch of last year's LEC tournament championship game.