Keene's Austin Morris slides in just ahead of the tag by BG's Luke Anderson during the Blackbirds' 9-4 Division I quarterfinal win Saturday at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Going into their third game in six days at Holman Stadium, how comfortable were the Keene High School Blackbirds?

Comfortable enough to put up six runs in the top of the first inning and make them count in a 9-4 Division I quarterfinal win over Bishop Guertin.

Yes, Holman has been their home away from home, and they get to come back in a week if they win a semifinal.

“Yeah, you know, traditionally we’ve struggled a little bit here because of the fast surface,” Keene coach Dan Moylan said. “But minus a couple of plays that weren’t made, we played pretty well today. We played well here.

“The six runs in the first held. Let’s be honest, you go up 6-0, the game’s a lot easier to play.”

The ‘Birds got to BG starter Jake Mitchell for those six runs on four big hits, beginning with an RBI double by starting pitcher Peter Haas. After two more runs came in, Cards coach Scott Painter went out to talk to Mitchell, and left him in to face 14-7 Keene’s No. 9 hitter, center fielder Austin Morris with the bases loaded.

Morris, who didn’t even hit in Thursday’s prelim win over Nashua North, cranked a bases clearing single that doubled the ‘Birds lead to 6-0.

“We were throwing from behind, they were hitting from ahead, and they got us deep into counts in that first inning,” Guertin coach Scott Painter said. “We were probably one guy too long, leaving Jake out there. He’s been really our best guy here at the end of the year. We were trying to get through that inning, and it cost us.”

Guertin did get three of those runs off Peter Haas, thanks to a catchable infield pop that dropped in for a hit to lead to two in the second, Luke Anderson driving in one run. An error on Max Riordan’s single allowed Guertin’s Kyle Lavigne to score from first to cut the gap to 6-3.

There was hope for BG, even against Keene’s ace, Haas. But Haas allowed just one more run in his six innings of work, coming on a Lavigne sac fly in the sixth.

“He fought, he’s our No. 1,” Moylan said. “He got a little frustrated on the mound there, but he came back. He did what he had to do to keep us in the game. It’s a tough day to pitch heat wise, we hadn’t seen this.”

Keene put up three insurance runs off the BG bullpen on a Haas sac fly in the fourth, a Jared Schmitt RBI hit in the fifth and a bad hop infield RBI hit by Cal Tiani in the sixth. The ‘Birds had nine hits in all.

“Anything in the zone,” Painter said, “they went after.”

But with the score 7-3, the Cards had the bases loaded against Haas in the fourth with two out, but he got Alex Lambalot to ground out. Lanky first baseman Alex Charles just did reach a high throw to ” an error on the play.

“Let them off the hook,” Painter said. “Could’ve had a big inning, instead it’s (a loss).”

Instead it’s another win for Keene at Holman.

“They go home happy,” Painter said.

“Our boys competed, though. We could have tucked it in at 6-0, folded the tents, but we didn’t, they should hold their heads high.”

Every year you want signature wins, and the Cards, who won eight games in all, got two this week with tourney wins over Merrimack and Alvirne.

“Those were good wins,” Painter said. “The Merrimack game, the Alvirne game, we were down in both, came back It bodes well for our guys in the future. The future’s bright for us.”

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