KEENE, N.H. - The Keene State
College softball team erupted for 24 runs on 36 hits Tuesday
afternoon en route to a Little East Conference doubleheader sweep
over rival Plymouth State University at the Owl Sports Complex,
10-1 and 14-3 in five innings.
The Owls, who had dropped their first four conference games this
spring, improve to 2-4 in the LEC and 17-5 overall. The
Panthers, who won their first two Little East games this season,
drop to 2-6 in the conference, 16-8 overall. The games were moved
from PSU to Keene due to field conditions in Plymouth; the Panthers
batted second as the 'home' team.
Keene State broke on top with a run in the top of the first of the
opener on an RBI single by junior Katie Allenson (Clifton Park,
N.Y.). The Owls tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning
on a two-run homer by junior Jenna Patnode (Surry, N.H.), and
turned the game into a rout with four runs in the fifth inning, two
coming home on a triple by Patnode and two more on a home run by
senior Jessica Starkey (Keene, N.H.). Senior Kaity Conklin
(Selkirk, N.Y.) added a solo homer in the sixth inning, and Conklin
and freshman Ashley Annis (Gilford, N.H.) finished off the scoring
for Keene with RBI singles in the seventh inning.
PSU scored its only run in the fifth inning on a lead-off home run
by freshman Laura Kaplan (Franklin, N.H.), her
first of the season. That was the only damage the Panthers
could muster off KSC senior Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey, N.H.), who
allowed five hits and no walks, striking out 10 to improve her
record to 5-3. Sophomore Kat Roland (Norton,
Mass.) started and took the loss for PSU.
Keene State put the second game out of reach early, scoring two
runs in the first inning, six in the second inning and two more in
the third. Patnode had four hits for the Owls and Allenson
added three hits and drove in five runs. KSC finished with 19
hits of PSU pitchers Courtney MacFarland
(Hampstead, N.H.) and Beth Moretti (Woonsocket,
R.I.), with six players getting at least two hits.
The Panthers managed to get on the board with a single run in the
third inning on a bases-loaded two-out single by junior
Heather Bartolo (Derry, N.H.). They added a
couple more runs in the fifth inning on a two-run double by
freshman Kortney Nedeau (Kennebunk, Maine).
Plymouth State looks to regroup in time for Thursday's
non-conference doubleheader at Framingham State. Keene State
hosts Williams College in a non-conference twinbill on
Wednesday.
(Courtesy of Keene State Sports Information)
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