Owls Post Fourth Win in Five Games in First Game in Fitchburg Since 2012

FITCHBURG, Mass. – Freshman Tommy Ahlers and senior Josh Beayon combined to go 6-for-9 at the plate and drive in eight runs as the Keene State College baseball team won for the fourth time in the past five games, downing Fitchburg State University 10-7 in non-conference action at Riccards Field on Tuesday afternoon.

Records

• Keene State:  9-11
• Fitchburg State:  9-8

How It Happened
Ahlers' big day, which featured his first collegiate home run to lead off the game, helped raise his batting average back over .300 while Beayon raised his over 40 points and now has a six-game hitting streak as the Owls broke a 6-6 tie by scoring twice in the seventh and twice in the ninth to improve to 4-1 since a 5-10 start.  KSC led 3-0 after the top of the first thanks to Ahlers' long ball, an error, and a sacrifice fly, but the Falcons answered with four in an ugly bottom of the first where the Owls walked three and made three errors.  After a ground out to begin the inning, Maxwell Riordan and Adam Koza walked around a single from Vincent Eramo to quickly load the bases.  A base hit that bounded into left made it a one-run game and, after a pair of miscues including one on a sacrifice bunt, Fitchburg led 4-3.  Starter Jack Lang struck out Cole DuHaime for the second out, but was then lifted in favor of Daniel Cantafi, who got the final out of the first and got the Owls to the sixth before being replaced.

KSC retook the lead in the third when Ahlers sparked another rally, working a walk to begin the inning before Alec Varano singled into left.  Jonathan Chatfield's fly ball then moved Ahlers to third before Varano stole second, and Beayon brought home both for a 5-4 lead with an opposite field single to left.  The Owl first baseman, who had a pair of big hits in Sunday's conference split with Rhode Island College, is now 10 for his last 22 dating to March 26 after he entered that day hitting .114.  He is now up to .246.
The Owls made it 6-4 with a two-out run in the fifth.  Varano singled with two down and then moved to second on a dropped pickoff throw to first by Nolan Hills.  Chatfield made it hurt, cracking a double to the left center gap.

Fitchburg came back once more, answering with a run in their half of the inning before making it 6-6 in the sixth.  In the fifth, Eramo singled with one out and then moved up on a hit batter before reaching third on Hills' liner to right.  Then, with Maxwell Kelly batting and two outs with runners on first and third, Koza attempted to steal second and got in a rundown before being tagged out, allowing Eramo to score.  A leadoff walk in the sixth spelled trouble as FSU tied the game without a hit.  Kelly walked to lead off and then stole second before another free pass with one out to DuHaime.  Both eventually stole their way into scoring position before Joseph DiCrosta's grounder to short tied the game.
Keene State answered quickly, going in front for good in just two batters in the seventh as Evan Cali walked, stole second, and scored on Ahlers' double to left that made it 7-6.  Chatfield tacked on another with a sacrifice fly that scored Ahlers from second easily as the left fielder Koza fell down and the Owl centerfielder and leadoff man showcased his speed.

Leading 8-6, David Floyd tossed a scoreless seventh, picking off Riordan after walking him to start the inning before retiring then next two.  After a 1-2-3 eighth for Shea Zina, the Owls tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth with another big hit from Beayon, which scored Ahlers and Junior Santos who had singled earlier in the inning for a 10-6 advantage.

It still was not easy in the bottom of the ninth for KSC, as after Zina struck out Michael Cooper looking to start, he then loaded the bases on a single and a walk to bring the tying run to the plate.  Eramo grounded out to plate one and made it 10-7, but Zina got Koza to sky to right to end the game for his fifth save.

"We did not throw enough strikes overall," said Keene State head coach Justin Blood, referring to their pitching staff's eight walks and a hit batter.  "But Dan Cantafi, David Floyd, and Shea Zina did a good job on the mound today.  We got some timely hits and ran the bases well."

Floyd (1-0) wound up getting his first career win with 1.2 scoreless innings.  He walked one and struck out one.  Cantafi allowed four hits and two runs in 4.2 innings with two walks and three strikeouts in relief of Lang, who allowed four runs and two hits in 0.2 innings with three free passes and one whiff.

Jason Bickford started and took the loss for Fitchburg, allowing six hits and seven runs (five earned) in six innings.  He walked four and struck out three while falling to 0-2.
Ahlers had an impressive day at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBI, a walk, and four runs scored – including the aforementioned hustle from second to home on a fly ball to left.  Beayon was 3-for-5 and drove in four, while Varano (2-4, 2 R) also had a multi-hit game.

Hills paced Fitchburg by going 2-for-4 with two runs batted in at the plate.  Eramo was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Around the Horn

• The Owls have 38 doubles as a team in 20 games so far this season.  They had 44 in 34 games a year ago.  Chatfield has nine of those while Ahlers, Hamilton Barnes, Brendan Eaton, and Beayon all have five.
• Ahlers now has five multi-hit games.  Beayon is up to 10 RBI, good for second on the team.  He has eight in his last four games, including three (of four) in KSC's league doubleheader this past Sunday.
• Keene State leads the all-time series 12-7, including a 7-2 mark on the road in Fitchburg, where they last played in 2012 – a 17-6 victory.  KSC pounded the Falcons 15-6 last year in Keene.

Up Next

• The Owls return home to host Western New England University (13-4-1) on Thursday, April 6 for a 2:30 p.m. first pitch.  The game was originally slated for Wednesday, but moved back a day.  Stay tuned to keeneowls.com for any further updates.
• Fitchburg State, who went 10-30 a year ago but entered today 9-7, has a MASCAC game against Salem State University (4-13, 1-2 MASCAC) on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.