PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Plymouth State University picked up its first Little East Conference (LEC) win of the season after earning a split with Keene State College in an LEC double header at Parish Field on Friday afternoon.
 
Keene State's bats were dynamic in the opener on the way to a 25-1 win, but Plymouth State rallied in game two using a seven-run first inning to spark a 15-5 victory.
 
With the split Plymouth State moves to 2-4 (1-3 LEC), while Keene State ends the day with a 2-5 (1-3 LEC) mark.
 
The Basics:

• Game 1: Plymouth State 1, Keene State 25
• Game 2: Plymouth State 15, Keene State 5
  • Plymouth State (2-4, 1-3 LEC)
  • Keene State (2-5, 1-3 LEC)

 
How it Happened (Game One):

• Keene was gifted a pair of runs in the first on a bases loaded hit batsman and walk to make it 2-0.
• The Owls pushed the lead to 6-0 with a four-run second.
• Graduate student Andrew Salta (Laconia, N.H.) manufactured a run for the Panthers in the bottom of the inning. After working a leadoff walk, he stole second, moved up to third on a fly ball and raced home on an RBI groundout by senior Andrew Wasilefsky (Willington, Conn.).
• Keene State took advantage of a pair of miscues to plate seven runs in the third and continued to tack on the rest of the way.

By the Numbers (Game One):

• Freshman Luke Sokolski (Waterford, Conn.) and sophomore Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.) had PSU's lone two hits. Crane singled in the first, while Sokolski doubled in the fifth.
• Freshman Nick Calenda (Warren, R.I.) looked impressive on the hill, striking out two and not allowing a run over the final 1.2 innings.
• Plymouth State was playing its first home game since Apr. 30, 2019.

 
How it Happened (Game Two):

• The Panthers' bats came alive in game two right from the bottom of the first. Sokolski lead off the frame with a single and junior Drew Metzdorf (Burlington, Mass.) and graduate student James Salta (Laconia, N.H.) rocked back-to-back home runs to give PSU a quick 3-0 advantage.
• Plymouth State added four more runs in the frame thanks to three hit batters, two errors and six stolen bases.
• Metzdorf and J. Salta used back-to-back singles to start the fourth. After a walk, graduate student Gavin Cook (Littleton, N.H.) singled up the middle to plate a pair of runs. Later in the inning senior Joe Routhier's (Nashua, N.H.) sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 10-0.
• Junior Noah Wachter (Concord, N.H.) was throwing a no-hitter through the first four innings but ran out of gas in the fifth. Three walks and an error wrapped around a pair of singles cut the Panthers' lead to 10-4, ending Wachter's day. Classmate Derek Walker (Littleton, N.H.) came on in relief and gave up a run scoring single before getting a strikeout to end the frame.
• A. Salta singled home a run in the sixth and back-to-back KSC errors plated three more runs before J. Salta smoked a ground-rule double to make it 15-5.
• Walker worked a perfect seventh to close out the win.

By the Numbers (Game Two):

• Wachter picked up the win (1-1) after allowing three earned runs over 4.2 innings while striking out seven.
• Walker struck out four over his 2.1 scoreless innings.
• J. Salta finished 4-for-5 with a double and homer at the plate, scoring a pair of runs and driving in two.
• Metzdorf finished 2-for-5 with his two-run shot, scoring three runs. Routhier drove in three and Cook knocked in two runs and scored twice.
• The Panthers stole 12 bases led by three apiece for Cook and sophomore Griffin Crane (Lancaster, N.H.).

 
Up Next:

• The same two teams meet again tomorrow (Apr. 10) for a non-conference twin bill at Keene's Owl Athletic Complex.