Bats Stay Hot as Baseball Defeats Keene State

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - For the second consecutive day, the Worcester State University baseball team won a high scoring affair in Florida Monday morning, defeating Keene State College 13-11 at the Osceola Heritage Park.

With the win, the Lancers move to 2-2 overall on the season, while Keene State falls to 1-4

Worcester State got on the board first in the top of the second inning, as Lancer senior Sam Allen (Springfield, Mass.) executed a perfect safety squeeze to drive in a pair of runs. Allen and Kenan Kolanda (Sterling, Mass.) would both also come around to score in the inning for the Lancers to take a 4-0 advantage.

Keene State cut the deficit to 4-1 in the bottom of the inning after senior Connor Longley (Foxboro, Mass.) connected on an RBI double, bringing classmate John Tarascio (Wethersfield, Conn.) to the plate.

The Lancers extended their lead to 7-1 in the top of the fourth thanks to run scoring hits from Jake Breton (Wilbraham, Mass.), Pat Galvin (Shrewsbury, Mass.), and Michael Ferrara (Easton, Mass.). Another RBI base hit from Longley started a three-run rally for Keene State in the bottom of the inning however, and the teams headed to the fifth with the Lancers ahead 7-4. 

After Worcester tacked on a single run in the fifth, Allen delivered another big hit for Worcester State in the top of the sixth with a bases-clearing double to extend his team's lead to 11-4. He would score two batters later on a base hit up the middle from Breton, giving the Lancers their largest lead of the day at 12-4.

Keene State scored two in the sixth and three in the seventh to make the game tight, but an RBI single from freshman Andrew Miller (Naples, Fla.) in the top of the ninth provided some cushion for the Lancers. Keene State pushed across a pair in the bottom of the ninth, but reliever Parker Bigelow (Leominster, Mass.) forced a flyout to right field to close out the win for Worcester State.

Junior Kevin Larkin (Rocky Hill, Conn.) earned the win on the hill with a strong three inning performance, allowing just one earned on three hits. Sam Cloutier (Cumberland, Maine) took the loss for the Owls, allowing four earned on four hits in one inning pitched.

Ferrara led all players on the day with four hits, while also crossed the plate twice and driving in one. Allen went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs and five RBIs, while Breton went 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Keene State leadoff hitter Sam Czel (Newton, Conn.) had an impressive day at the plate, going 3-for-6 with four RBIs and a run scored in the losing effort.

Worcester State will be back in action on Tuesday, with an 11 a.m. matchup against SUNY Poly in Auburndale, Fla.

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