KSC Baseball’s early season struggles continued in their March 20 matchup against the Westfield State Owls, falling 6-7 in nine innings.
The first half of the game looked promising for KSC, with the leadoff hitter sophomore outfielder Tommy Ahlers reaching base on a single up the middle. Ahlers was quickly picked off though. Following a strikeout, KSC ended up with two men in scoring position after a single and a walk followed by a wild pitch. A swinging strikeout ended the offensive threat though.
Early defensive woes shone through on KSC, with Westfield loading the bases off the back of a throwing error, a walk and a hit batsman. Fortunately for KSC, the rally fizzled out after a K and a ground out.
The second proved uneventful for either side offensively, with KSC’s lineup going down in order.
KSC put up the first run of the game in the third, capitalizing off of a single, a walk and an error, though it was the only run they would end up scoring in the inning.
Westfield looked to strike back after stringing together a single and a double with just one out, leaving two men in scoring position. A groundout and a strikeout brought the rally to a halt though.
Westfield equalized the game in their half of the fourth, with a leadoff double followed by a single which induced a pitching change for KSC.
Junior Jack Lang left the mound giving up four hits, a walk and a hit batsman. Lang secured three strikeouts on the day.
A fly-out RBI brought the game to 1-1 but the scoring ended for Westfield there after a pop-up and fielder’s choice closed the inning.
Keene State struck back rapidly with a leadoff single followed by a walk in their half of the fifth. Sophomore utility player Hamilton Barnes singled to the catcher. A throwing error caused two runs to be plated, putting KSC in a 3-1 lead.
Keene State ran into trouble in the bottom of the inning though after the bases loaded off the backs of an error, a walk and a fielder’s choice. The threat quickly dissipated after Westfield outfielder Alex Martin grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Westfield squandered another golden opportunity in the sixth but ended up leaving two men stranded in scoring position to close the inning.
The KSC Owls padded their lead in the seventh to a commanding 7-1. After a K and a groundout, Westfield’s pitching fell apart. Pitcher Sean McNamara walked three men back-to-back, then hit two batsmen which plated two runs for KSC. Sophomore infielder Otis Follet then smashed a two-RBI single to left field, closing the inning with Keene State in the driver’s seat.
After making it to the bottom of the eighth inning unscathed, Keene State’s luck ran out. Westfield’s leadoff hitter reached base on an error, followed by a double which placed two men in scoring position.
Westfield’s outfielder/pitcher Sam Palmer cracked a two-RBI single to left-center, reducing the team’s deficit to 7-3. A hit batsman and an RBI single found Westfield in an even more favorable position at 7-4.
Keene State induced their fourth pitching change of the night, and the KSC Owls did not escape the inning until after a wild pitch scored another run, cutting their lead to 7-5 entering the ninth.
KSC did not add on any runs in their half of the ninth, which proved to be their undoing.
In the bottom half of the inning, Keene State ran into early trouble, giving up a leadoff walk followed by a single, causing KSC to make another pitching change.
Another Westfield single loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice gave Keene State a glimmer of hope, but it quickly dissipated. Westfield’s infielder/outfielder Justin Neidel scorched a walk-off three-RBI bases-clearing double, ending the game 8-7 Westfield.
Keene State’s record now stands at 4-10. They will face Rhode Island College for a doubleheader on March 22 in their first Little East Conference play of the year.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
nhope@kscequiniox.com
