KEENE, N.H. 4/7/04 - The Keene State College softball team banged out 22 hits on the way to sweeping a pair of non-conference five inning games (13-5 and 12-4) over Mass. College of Liberal Arts in Keene on Wednesday.

KSC (10-4), which was seeing its first action since March 27, didn't appear rusty at the plate. 

The Owls, which collected 11 hits in the opener, came back from a 4-0 first inning deficit.  Jenn Norman (Penacook, N.H.) and Adria Reynolds (Portsmouth, N.H.) had three hits each. Reynolds also had three RBI in the game. Abby Collis (Wynantskill, N.Y.) had a two-run double in the first and cracked a grand slam home run just inside the left field pole in the second inning to put the Owls up 8-3. Caroline Kurkowski also chipped in with two RBIs. Tiffany Underhill (Eastham, Mass.) had two hits including an RBI double in the first and solo home run in the third.

Courtney Tebo (Douglas, Mass.) and Jess Sinopoli (Pittsfield, Mass.) had two hits each for the Mohawks.

Jennifer Smith (Salem, N.H.) pitched into the fifth inning to post her third win (3-0) of the season. Meghan McLoughlin (Brattleboro, Vt.) came in to notch her third save of the season.  Sinopoli (0-4) took the loss for MCLA.

The Owls broke open the second game with a nine-run third inning.  Erin Fouroli (Warwick, R.I.), Amanda Foote (Hudson, N.H.), Kathleen Gambino (Freeport, N.Y.) and Collis had run-producing hits in the uprising.

After MCLA plated a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, Gambino ended the game with a bases clearing triple that scored three runs in the bottom of the inning. Gambino finished the game with three hits and five RBIs while Foote was three-for-three with three RBIs.

Although she struggled with her control, Stephanie Carter (Cohoes, N.Y.) (1-3) gave up just two hits to pick up her first win of the season. She fanned four and walked four.  Jessica Preite (North Adams, Mass.) took the loss for Mass. College (2-10).

Keene State hosts Westfield State tomorrow afternoon (3 p.m.) at the Owl Athletic Complex.