GORHAM, Maine –
Lucas Rogers lined an 0-2 pitch down the right field line in fair territory to plate
Quin Barton with the winning run as the Keene State College baseball team kept their season alive with an 8-7 win over the University of Massachusetts-Boston in a Little East Conference tournament elimination game Friday afternoon at Ed Flaherty Field.
The Owls (25-16) broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the sixth on a bases loaded walk to
Trevor Snow before
Evan Cali singled on the infield to drive in another. Rogers then singled with one out in the seventh before moving to second when
Domminic Tagliaferro was hit with a pitch, eventually scoring on a passed ball and a balk. KSC seemed well in control, as
Troy Brennan struck out Dylan Agvent and Breon Parker for two quick outs in the ninth despite Wes Sturrup's double, but UMass-Boston (21-22) then brought the tying run to the plate when Nick Farnacci put a base hit into center on a two-strike pitch. Elliot Miles then launched a three-run shot to the right center gap to suddenly tie the game, and put KSC – who had lost 7-4 in a winner's bracket game last night and needs to win four games in two days to defend their title – in peril.
But Keene State checked off one of the wins they needed quickly, as the Beacons did not record an out in the ninth.
Emmett Borenstein, who had subbed for
Jonathan Chatfield defensively in the top half of the inning, worked a walk on a full count pitch – one of ten issued by UMB on the day – to lead off the frame and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Otis Follet then also took ball four, and after UMB turned to Jonny Pagano, Rogers went with an 0-2 pitch and kept it fair down the right field line as pinch-runner Barton (for Borenstein) scored with ease.
It was KSC's second win of the tournament over the Beacons, as they opened their run with a 13-1 beatdown on Wednesday, and fourth in the last five tries in the series. UMass-Boston worked their way back by beating Vermont State University Castleton 9-2 in an elimination game yesterday.
It seemed early the Owls might be on their way to another big win early, as they answered two UMB runs in the top of the first with three in the bottom half on an RBI single by
Mitchell Coffey and a two-run double by Tagliaferro. Cali made it 4-2 in the second with an RBI triple that plated Snow, but KSC did not score again until the sixth, breaking a 4-4 tie that Boston created in the fifth on a fielder's choice and an RBI double by Brandon Gaer.
Cam Thomas authored his strongest and deepest start of the season, tossing 6.2 innings and allowing four hits and four runs (three earned). He walked three and struck out seven, throwing 85 pitches.
Owen Ellsworth allowed five hits and five runs while walking five and striking out one over his 5.2 inning start. Kyle McLaughlin (0-2) took the loss, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing the game-winning run while walking two.
Cali finished 3-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs to pace KSC's offense, which had eight hits. Snow added a single and walked twice, while the No. 5 spot in the Owl lineup of Coffey and Rogers combined to go 3-for-4 with two RBI and a walk.
Miles went 2-for-4 with a walk and the dramatic three-run homer, but saw his junior campaign come to an end with 11 home runs and an impressive .406 batting average.
The Owls will be right back at it this evening against the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in another elimination game. The Corsairs fell 14-6 in the day's first game against host University of Southern Maine, getting blasted with a 10-run second for the Huskies after they had opened a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. KSC fell to the Corsairs 7-4 last night to fall into the loser's bracket, leaving 13 on base.
