'DANBURY, CONN. 5/2/03– The Keene State College softball team will need a win on Saturday against Rhode Island College if it hopes to advance in the four-team, double-elimination Little East Tournament being held at Western Conn. State University in Danbury, Conn.

Facing elimination from the tournament, Keene State held a 3-0 lead over RIC in the bottom of the third inning when the game was suspended due to rain.  The game will be resumed at that point Saturday morning (11 a.m.).

The Owls (20-12) the fifth seed, face a must win situation after losing a tough first game 5-4 to top seed and host WCSU (23-7) earlier in the day.

In the second game, KSC scored all of its runs in the bottom of the third.  Nikki Foote (Hudson, N.H.) opened the inning with a double and with two outs came home on an RBI single from Kerry Marsh (Meriden, N.H.).  Jennifer Norman (Penacook, N.H.) followed with a single.  Shauna Mullen (Hooksett, N.H.) then delivered a two-run double.

KSC Pitcher Stephanie Carter (Cohoes, N.Y.) had six strikeouts through three innings.

Keene State scored four runs in the top of the first inning against Western Conn, but could not hang on for the victory in its first game.

Mullen, Caroline Kurkowski (Niskayuna, N.Y.), and Foote had run producing hits and the Owls scored a run on an error in the inning.  KSC did all it's scoring against the Colonials' Brooke Morris, who had shut them out earlier this season.  Sarah Zaslaw took over on the mound for WCSU and shut out the Owls the rest of the way and striking out 11 batters.

Western Conn. finally got to KSC starter Meghan McLoughlin  (Brattleboro, Vt.) with three runs in the fourth inning.  WCSU added two more runs in the fifth.  Cathy Knapp scored the go-ahead run on an error by KSC catcher Rissacher.

Third seed Plymouth State; behind the nine strikeouts of Kim Jeffs, edged second seed Rhode Island College 1-0 in the second game.

Following KSC's suspended game against RIC, the tournament will continue with games scheduled for 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.  If necessary, a championship game will be played Sunday at noon.