WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Fourth-seeded Keene State
College knocked sixth-seeded Plymouth State University out of the
Little East Conference Softball Tournament Friday evening with a
10-4 victory in an elimination game at Eastern Connecticut State
University's Spector Field.
The Owls, 24-11, who were coming off a tough 5-3 loss to Rhode
Island College in the previous game, rebounded to stay alive with
the win over the Panthers and will play again on Saturday against a
team to be determined. PSU, playing its first game of the day
after splitting two games on Thursday, drops to 25-14 and will hope
for an ECAC Tournament berth next week.
Both teams scored three runs in the first inning, and Keene
State pulled back ahead with a run in the top of the second.
The Owls pulled away with two runs in the fourth inning and one in
the fifth, and poured it on with three more in the seventh.
PSU didn't go down without a fight, managing one last run in the
bottom of the seventh.
Freshman Melissa Caiazzo (Portland, Maine) had two
hits for the Panthers, including a two-run single that capped PSU's
three-run rally in the first inning. Junior Leanne
Barry (Auburn, N.H.) also had two hits, including an RBI
double in the seventh inning, and freshman Kortney
Nedeau (Kennebunk, Maine) had a single and a double and
scored a run.
Senior Jessica Starkey (Keene, N.H.) went 4-for-5 with two doubles
and two RBI to lead the Owls' 14-hit attack. Juniors Katie
Allenson (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and Allie D'Amato (Bristol, Conn.)
and senior Melissa Scata (Medway, Mass.) also had two hits apiece.
Senior Ashley Nicholson (Swanzey, N.H.) improved her record to 14-5
with a strong pitching effort for Keene State. She went the
distance and allowed two earned runs on six hits and no walks while
striking out four.
PSU sophomore Kat Roland (Norton, Mass.), who
pitched over 11 innings in PSU's two tournament games on Friday,
started and grueled it out until the fifth inning, when junior
Courtney MacFarland (Hampstead, N.H.) came on to
finish it out.
The 25 wins for PSU this spring is the second-most in a season in
school history, and marks a 12-game improvement over last
year.
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