The Keene State Baseball team continued its fine form, allowing just one run across two games against rivals University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) as it continued to battle for sole ownership of first place in the Little East Conference (LEC).
Keene State’s pitching kept it in the game early as the bats got off to a quiet start. Junior Jake Jachym (3-1) was in top form and delivered a dominant performance in the first game, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning and ultimately allowing just one run and four hits across 8.2 innings.
The breakthrough finally came in the eighth inning as the Owls scored all four of their runs. Junior catcher Evan Cali got on base with an infield single before junior center fielder Tommy Ahlers drove him in with an RBI single to give KSC a 1-0 lead. From there, the Owls kept the pressure on as sophomore outfielder Ethan Rainha singled to right center, driving in Ahlers and advancing to second on the throw. An errant throw from the UMass Dartmouth left fielder allowed Rainha to score, extending the lead to 3-0. Senior outfielder Shea Zina followed with an RBI single of his own, bringing in another run to make it 4-0.
Jachym’s shutout bid ended in the bottom of the ninth as Corsairs outfielder Scott Cromack hit a solo home run to left field. Senior Devyn Vezina then doubled to left, putting pressure on the Owls. Head Coach Justin Blood went to the bullpen, calling on junior reliever Troy Brennan, who recorded a strikeout to end the game and earn his second save of the season.
The strong pitching continued in the second game as Keene State completed the sweep with a dominant 8-0 victory.
After three scoreless innings, Ahlers again got the Owls going, blasting a solo home run over the left field fence in the fourth. The Owls added another run in the inning when junior first baseman Jonathan Chatfield doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a Zina single to left.
KSC pulled away in the sixth, plating two more runs. Cali led off with a single and moved to second on an errant pickoff throw. After Chatfield was hit by a pitch, both scored on RBI singles from Zina and junior shortstop Otis Follet, making it 4-0.
A pivotal moment came in the bottom of the sixth when UMass Dartmouth loaded the bases with one out. Junior David Floyd entered in relief and struck out two Corsairs on just seven pitches to escape the jam. Building on that momentum, the Owls tacked on two more runs in the seventh. Cali walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, and then, along with Ahlers, executed a double steal. A wild pitch scored Cali before Chatfield’s second hit of the day brought home Ahlers.
Keene State added two insurance runs in the ninth with RBI singles from Zina and Follet. Zina finished 3-for-5 with three RBI, while Follet and Chatfield each contributed two hits.
On the mound, junior Camden Thomas (4-2) earned the win, tossing 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five. Floyd, junior Joe Schlehuber and senior Liam Conley combined for the final 3.2 innings, striking out six without allowing a run.
The victory marked Keene State’s third straight win over UMass Dartmouth after dropping the previous 11 meetings. The Owls reached double-digit conference wins, improving to 18-14 overall and 10-3 in the LEC. Keene State will return to action on April 29, hosting Vermont State University Castleton before closing the regular season with a doubleheader at rival Plymouth State University on May 2.
Elías Stowell Alemán can be contacted at
estowellaleman@kscequinox.com
