KEENE, N.H. – Junior David Floyd pitched seven strong innings, including six scoreless to end his outing, and the offense put up three crooked numbers as the Keene State College baseball team moved to within one win of clinching the No. 1 seed in the Little East Conference after a comfortable 9-4 win over Vermont State University Castleton on Tuesday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Since starting league play 1-2, the Owls (19-14, 11-3 LEC) have surged, beginning with a now crucial sweep of the University of Massachusetts-Boston, and have the best run differential in conference games (plus-66) in the league.  KSC currently sits in a tie with the Beacons (who beat Plymouth State University 9-4 on the road today), but leads by a game in the loss column and holds the tiebreaker.  Eastern Connecticut State University (10-4) sits in third place following a 17-0 demolition of last place Western Connecticut State University today.  One win in Friday's doubleheader at PSU will give the Owls the top seed in the conference for the first time in 17 years, as they would emerge from a tiebreaker with UMB thanks to a head-to-head matchup and a three-way tie with the Beacons and Eastern Connecticut due to a better record against fourth-place University of Southern Maine.  USM is not guaranteed fourth place, though them falling behind the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth would mean the Corsairs beat ECSU.

The Owls used a 10-run top of the first inning that included a Jonathan Chatfield grand slam two weeks ago to pound the Spartans 18-1.  They did not match that margin today – but were well in command, answering Castleton's two-run top of the first with a four-run bottom half and never trailed again, making it 6-2 in the fourth and 8-2 in the sixth.
KSC put immediate pressure on the Spartans in the first inning as Evan Cali worked a five-pitch walk and Evan McCue grounded a single into left as the first two reached.  Tommy Ahlers' soft grounder to third worked as effectively as a sacrifice to put two in scoring position, and Jonathan Chatfield scored both with a two-run double to the left center gap.  An RBI infield single by Ethan Rainha two batters later pated Chatfield for a 3-2 Owl lead, and Otis Follet followed with another gap double to bring in another.
The Spartans got very little going against Floyd – just as they did not in the previous meeting (with only one hit) – managing only three hits and a walk against him in the seven innings.  He did hit two batters, but induced a pair of double plays including one to erase a leadoff runner in the second, and struck out eight.  Overall in the game, Castleton had just five hits, all singles, as they lost to KSC for the third time in the last four meetings, getting outscored 46-10 in the defeats.

The Owls pulled away steadily in this one, scoring two more with help in the bottom of the fourth.  Alec Varano reached on an error to begin the frame and moved to second on a wild pitch before Luke Anderson walked.  Cali laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases with nobody out.  McCue grounded into a double play to bring in the first run, but Ahlers helped salvage the inning by roping a double down the left field line to make it 6-2.

Floyd retired the next nine Spartans in order, four by strikeout, to help the Owls cruise.  He has a team-high 43 whiffs in 29 innings this season.

Ahlers notched his team-best 42nd run batted in of the season by poking a triple to the right center gap with one out in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-2, and Chatfield then plated him with a sacrifice fly as KSC tacked on insurance.

The Spartans got two back in the eighth off Daniel Cantafi to make it 8-4, but Liam Conley calmed things down as Castleton never brought the tying run to the plate.  Brandon Ramirez grounded out to end the inning with two on in an 8-4 game, and Conley then struck out two looking in an easy 1-2-3 ninth.

Rhode Island College's 4-2 loss at UMass-Dartmouth kept the Spartans alive heading into Friday's doubleheader against the Anchormen at home – though they will need to sweep (any scenarios for Castleton to get into the tournament entering the day required a sweep of RIC).

Ethan Nichols started and took the loss for the Spartans, who were coming off being swept in a home doubleheader Monday by Southern Maine, allowing eight hits and six runs (four earned) in 3.2 innings.  He walked two and struck out four.

Jackson Cardozo finished with three of Castleton's five hits.

KSC saw seven of nine in their starting lineup record a hit, with Cali and Shea Zina notching three-hit games.  Chatfield drove in three runs and Ahlers two, with Ahlers finishing halfway to the cycle (without a single or home run).  His .463 average remains among the top ten nationally in Division III among qualified players.

The Owls will now turn their attention to a non-conference game at Worcester State University tomorrow (Wednesday, April 30) at 3:00 p.m.  KSC downed the Lancers 9-2 in Keene last year.  The Owls will then venture to Plymouth State on Friday (May 2) for a 10:00 a.m. first pitch looking for at least one win to ensure the Little East tournament will be held in the Elm City next week (May 7-10).  Two wins would secure an outright league regular season championship, joining the 2008 team, which was part of a stretch in which KSC made the NCAA tournament four times in six years, including three outright or shared regular season LEC crowns.