If there is one way to describe this game, it would be “ouch.”

Keene, with an active three-game losing streak, lost a pitching duel to Martha’s Vineyard and is one Upper Valley win away from dropping to third in the NECBL Northern Division.

For Keene, this game was brutal in every way as their pitching staff was near-flawless and Zach Messinger, who went six innings of one-run ball, should have coasted to another win.

The game started off quick with neither the Vineyard nor Keene getting a hit in the first two innings.

Following a Brady Slavens’ double to left, Matt Chamberlain sac grounded out to second, scoring the lefty from third and giving the Sharks an early 1-0 win.

Keene fought right back in the bottom of the third when Tommy Joseph ripped a single to third and moved to second on a Jackson Raper throwing error.

With Joseph on second, a Kevin Welsh single up the middle scored the Florida Southwestern outfielder and tied the ballgame at one.

Randall Bednar then hit a double off the right-field fence, a hit that was only three inches away from a homer.

However, Keene’s offense could not score even with second and third and one out. After Bednar’s double, David Bedgood struck out and Will Wagner grounded out to second, keeping it a 1-1 game.

Daniel Hagerty, Vineyard’s starter, went six and 1/3 innings pitched with one earned run and being yanked with only 67 pitches thrown, could have easily gone eight innings.

This same problem occurred for Keene in the fourth with first and second and no outs.

Ryan Hogan struck out and then Kyle Ball was thrown out at third, making it a 2-5 double play. Mitch Golden, two pitches later, then grounded out to second, still keeping it a 1-1 ballgame.

What followed was a knife fight with 23 consecutive batters, both Swampbats, and Sharks, being retired in order as it remained at 1-1 ballgame going to the ninth.

With Messinger and Hagerty out, it was up to whose bullpen was going to falter first and Keene finally bit the bullet.

With Michael Bacica being pulled out with first and second and no outs in the top of the ninth, Justin Willis came in to stop the threat.

Willis, for the second time in 72 hours, blew another hold as Vineyard scored two on an Anthony Videtto double to left field. Scoring Nander Desedas and Alan Burnsed, Vineyard took a very late 3-1 lead and Keene, though down, looked ready for another rally.

In the bottom of the ninth, with one out, Kyle Ball and Will Wagner hit back-to-back singles to make it first and second, with the tying run on first.

Again, it was up to Logan Mathieu to start the rally and again, Keene crashed and burned as Mathieu struck out on six pitches and Ryan Hogan, the ex-Shark and mid-season transfer for Keene, popped out to right to end the game.

For Hogan to finish the game off with a pop-out against his former team was fate in the making and Keene dropped to 23-17 on the year.

With four games left, Keene now needs to win at least half of them if they want a secured playoff spot. However, these four games are against surging teams, including North Adams and Vermont, who Keene is a combined 4-6 this season.

With Luke Albright most likely on the mound Monday against Newport, the second-place team in the NECBL Southern Division, this game could not be more decisive of how Keene’s season will end.