BOSTON, MASS. 4/20/04 - The University of Massachusetts Boston softball team was swept in a Little East Conference double-header by visiting Keene State College today, losing 4-0 in the opener and 4-3 in the nightcap, at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMB.  The Beacons fall to 6-20 overall and 1-11 in the LEC, while the Owls improve to 21-5 and 10-2.
 
UMB looked primed to upset Keene State in the day's second game, leading 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Owls, who were the home team in the second contest, scored the winning run when Kathleen Gambino (Freeport, N.Y.) scored on a sacrifice fly by Adria Reynolds (Portsmouth, N.H.) to give Keene State a 4-3 victory.  Sarah Campbell (Auburn, Mass.) led off the bottom of the seventh inning by beating out an infield hit to shortstop and advanced to second on a passed ball.  Amanda Foote (Hudson, N.H.) then grounded to third base for what looked to be an easy out, but the umpire ruled that the Beacons' first baseman was off the bag for the safe call, but Campbell was thrown out trying to advance to third leaving Foote on first with one out.  Gambino then followed with a walk and Jennifer Norman (Penacook, N.H.) launched a double to deep center field to bring home Foote with the tying run, while Gambino advanced to third to set up Reynolds' game-winning sacrifice fly. 

UMB broke into the scoring column first when freshman pitcher Carla Collins (Sequim, WA) reached on an error to lead off the top of the third inning, stole second base, and after an out, scored on a double to right center field by freshman shortstop Andrea Ciarletta (Watertown, Mass.) to make it 1-0.  Sophomore first baseman Siobhan Lynch (Bordentown, NJ) later struck a one-out RBI single to left field, scoring Ciarletta to give the Beacons a 2-0 lead.  The Owls cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning when Campbell led off with a double down the left field line, moved to third on a wild pitch and later came home on a Gambino fielder's choice to shortstop.  UMB added another run in the top of the fifth inning when Ciarletta drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a single by junior second baseman Jenn Murray (Avon, Mass.).  Murray then stole second base to leave first base open, as senior third baseman Kristen Smoyer (Stratham, N.H.) then reached on a dropped third strike with two outs to load the bases.  The first pitch to freshman Cathering Gentile (Salem, Conn.) hit her to force in a run and give UMB a 3-1 lead.  KSC got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Foote singled up the middle and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches and later scored on an error by UMass Boston's third baseman to pull the Owls to within 3-2.

Meghan McLoughlin picked up her second win of the day, going two and two-thirds innings of one-hit relief, while striking out three.  Sophomore Stephanie Poulos (Glens Falls, N.Y.) took the loss in relief after throwing one and two-thirds innings and allowing two runs (both unearned) on two hits and two walks. 

Keene State Scored three times in the top of the third inning to give it all the runs it would need for a victory in game one.  Reynolds singled to left with one out and was followed by a Caroline Kurkowski (Niskayuna, N.Y.) walk.  After an out, Kari Gardner (Grafton, Mass.) doubled to left center field to plate Reynolds, who was followed by Kurkowski with the benefit of a throwing error to give the Owls a 2-0 lead as Gardner advanced to third base.  Tiffany Underhill (Eastham, Mass.) then singled to right field to drive in Gardner with Keene State's third run of the contest.  The Owls tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, when Norman smacked a one-out single to left field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt where she scored on a Kurkowski double to make it 4-0.

McLoughlin picked up the complete-game shutout, tossing seven innings, while allowing three hits and two walks to go with 12 strikeouts.  Poulos suffered the loss for the Beacons, going seven innings and giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits and three walks, while fanning four batters. 

The Owls will be back in action on Wednesday (4 p.m.) at Williams College. 

(Courtesy of UMB Sports Information)