The Keene State Baseball team put on a show for Senior Day, sweeping the University of Southern Maine to earn a share of the top seed in the Little East Conference (LEC).
It was a perfect afternoon for baseball at the Owl Athletic Complex on April 19, as the Owls hosted the Huskies for a crucial Senior Day doubleheader. Before the first pitch, a crowd of 180 fans gathered to honor the team’s five graduating seniors: Catcher and captain Shea Zina, pitchers Jack Lang and Phil Nichols, infielder Joseph Lucas and outfielder Wyatt Daft.
With the scene set, the Owls looked to build on their recent momentum. Keene State entered the matchup in red-hot form, riding a five-game winning streak, and showed no signs of slowing down.
The Owls lit up the scoreboard early, plating three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Junior infielder Otis Follet’s RBI single to right field sparked the offense, and a throwing error by the Huskies’ right fielder allowed two more runs to score. The Owls kept the pressure on in the third, with Zina ripping a two-run double to left and sophomore outfielder Ethan Rainha following up with an RBI single to make it 6–1.
Junior pitcher Jake Jachym got the start for the Owls and held Southern Maine in check early, but the Huskies came alive in the fifth inning. After trimming the lead in the fourth with a two-run homer, they erupted for five runs in the fifth, capped by Jack LeBlond’s second home run of the day, which tied the game at 8–8.
But Keene State kept at it. Junior outfielder Tommy Ahlers came up clutch in the bottom half of the fifth, driving in two runs with a sharp single to left that put the Owls back in front. From there, the Owls bullpen took over. Junior pitcher Troy Brennan entered in relief and held Southern Maine to just one run over 2.2 innings, earning the win and steadying the game for Keene State. In the sixth, the offense blew it open. Junior catcher Ethan Cali delivered a bases-clearing triple, and junior infielder Evan McCue added an RBI double to stretch the lead to 14–8. Senior pitcher and catcher Liam Conley slammed the door with two scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing just one hit to claim win number one of the day for Keene State.
The Owls picked up right where they left off in game two, using a big day at the plate and steady work on the mound to power past Southern Maine, 12–2, and complete the Senior Day sweep.
Junior first baseman and outfielder Jonathan Chatfield opened the scoring with a solo home run to center in the bottom of the second, his eighth homerun of the season, and Keene State quickly built a 2–0 lead after a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. Southern Maine tied the game in the third, capitalizing on a pair of walks and a fielder’s choice, but Keene State responded immediately. Rainha knocked an RBI single through the left side to reclaim the lead, and moments later, sophomore infielder Luke Anderson delivered the knockout blow—a three-run double down the left field line that made it 6–2.
On the mound, sophomore Camden Thomas worked through 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits, but did allow six walks. Sophomore George Young came on in relief and was sharp, tossing three scoreless innings without allowing a walk and earning the win to improve to 2–1 on the season. Lang closed it out with 1.1 perfect innings and a strikeout, slamming the door on any hopes of a Huskies comeback.
Keene State’s offense continued to roll in the later innings. Anderson added a two-run single in the fifth—part of a 3-for-4, six-RBI performance—while McCue crushed a two-run homer to left to stretch the lead to 10–2. Zina added one last highlight to his Senior Day with a solo shot in the eighth, and Anderson capped his monster day with an RBI single to seal the 12–2 win.
The Owls have now won seven games in a row, their longest streak since 2013. Currently they sit atop the LEC standings, on par with Eastern Connecticut State University who they will face next on April 22 to determine who will remain on top of the LEC.
Elías Stowell Alemán can be contacted at
estowellaleman@kscequinox.com
