(Box Score)

            KEENE, N.H. – Junior Tyler DiPrato (Suffield, Conn.) knocked in the go-ahead in the bottom of the eighth inning and sophomore Kyle Morrill (Auburn, N.H.) threw out the potential tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth Tuesday afternoon in Keene State College's come-from-behind 5-4 Little East Conference baseball win over rival Plymouth State University.

            Plymouth State (2-17, 0-5 LEC) suffered its fourth straight conference loss in which the opposing team scored the winning run in its final at bat.

            PSU scored all four of its runs in the second inning.  Junior Dan Eagan (Norwich, Conn.), senior Steve Picco (Marshfield, Mass.), and sophomore Marcus Joyce (Scituate, Mass.) had RBI hits in the inning for the Panthers.

            With Owl runners on the corners in the fourth inning, Panther freshman centerfielder Brendan Cosgrove (Merrimack, N.H.) made a diving catch off the bat of sophomore Greg Bates (Salem, N.H.) to rob KSC of a potential big inning.

            The Owls (12-10-1, 3-2) got two runs back in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of Panther errors. KSC scored the tying and game-winning runs in the eighth.  Junior Bobby Doyon (Keene, N.H.) and senior Anthony Cipolla (Glastonbury, Conn.) opened the inning with a singles.  Doyon stole second, moved to third on fly out, and scored on an error.   Cipolla scored the go-ahead run on a single to left field by DiPrato.

            Pinch-hitter junior Grant Livingston (Niantic, Conn.) walked to start the ninth for PSU.  Freshman Steve Beard (Middletown, Mass.), who pinch ran for Livingston, went to second on a ground out.  Sophomore Joe Eramo (Shirley, Mass.) followed with a smash up the middle that hit the second base bag.  Morrill, the Owls' shortstop, picked up the ball in short right and fired a strike to KSC catcher Cipolla, who applied the tag to Beard.

            Junior Bryant Lausberg (Somersworth, N.H.) grounded out to the Owl pitcher Cory Vogt (Suffield, Conn.) to end the game. 

            Sophomore Mike Cappiello (Westfield, N.J.) and Lausberg each had two hits for the Panthers.

            Sophomore Jeff Pelkey (Fitzwilliam, N.H.) settled down after the second inning and pitched five innings for KSC.  Freshman Tim Quagliaroli (Windsor Locks, Conn.) pitched three innings of two-hit relief to pick-up his first win (1-0) of the season. Vogt pitched the ninth and notched his second save.

            Lausberg, who allowed three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks, kept Owl batters off-balance in his seven strong innings on the mound.  Sophomore Jonathan Bishop (Woburn, Mass.), who took over in the eighth was the losing pitcher (0-5).

            Keene State is at Western New England on Wednesday.  Plymouth State hosts Salem State on Friday. Both games begin at 3:30 p.m. 

 (Courtesy of Keene State Sports Information) 

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