'DANBURY, CONN. 5/3/03– Adria Reynolds (Portsmouth, N.H.) two-out RBI double to centerfield scored Caroline Kurkowski (Niaskayuna, N.Y.) with the winning run in the top of the eighth inning to give the Keene State College softball team a dramatic 4-3 victory over top seed Western Connecticut in the Little East Conference Tournament in Danbury, on Saturday

With the victory, the fifth-seeded Owls (24-12) force a winner-take-all championship game against the top-seeded Colonials (24-8) on Sunday (12 p.m.)

KSC held a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the six inning on Abby Collis' (Wynantskill, N.Y.)  three-run home run in the second inning .  WCSU tied the game in the sixth on a fielder's choice run and two run single by Alyana Davis. The tying hit came against Missy Zimmerman, who took over for starter Stephanie Carter (Cohoes, N.Y.). Zimmerman evened her record at 5-5 with the win.

The game stayed tied until the Owls' rally in the top of the eighth.  Kurkowski singled up the middle, and following a walk to Abby Blanchette (Webster, N.H.), Reynolds stepped to the plate and delivered the go-ahead run.

Zimmerman  gave up just one and fanned two in two and a third innings of work.  Carter gave up three hits, struck out three and walked two over five and a third innings.  Sarah Zaslaw (16-5) was the complete game loser for WCSU.

Facing elimination in the four-team, double-elimination tournament, Keene State posted earlier wins over Plymouth State (1-0) and Rhode Island College  (3-1) on Saturday to advance into the championship game.

Pinch runner Jennifer Smith (Salem, N.H.) scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift KSC to the victory over the rival Panthers.

Replacing Abby Blanchette (Webster, N.H.), who was placed on second due to the tie-breaker rules, Smith came around to score when the PSC second baseman threw wild to first on Nikki Foote's (Hudson, N.H.) sacrifice bunt attempt. 

Meghan McLoughlin (Brattleboro, Vt.) out dueled PSC's Kim Jeffs to get the pitching win.  McLoughlin (5-3) pitched a complete game one-hitter tying a school record with 13 strikeouts.  Jeffs, who earlier lost a 1-0 10inning decision to Western Conn. was the hard luck loser for the Panthers. She also fanned 13 batters.

Abby Collis had three hits for KSC in the game.

The Owls started the day by defeating Rhode Island College (3-1) in a game that was suspended yesterday due to rain.

KSC scored all of its runs prior to Friday's suspension in the bottom of the third .  Foote  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 (7-2) tossed a complete game three-hitter and had nine strikeouts to pick up the win.