Game #8

KEENE, N.H. 5/1/04 - Jenn Norman's (Penacook, N.H.) RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Sarah Campbell (Auburn, Mass.) with the winning run, enabling top seed Keene State College to pull off a dramatic 3-2 victory over fifth seed Eastern Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference softball tournament game played Saturday at Owl Athletic Complex.

Leading off the eighth, Campbell reached second on an error by the ECSU shortstop that rolled into left field.  Campbell advanced to third on a past ball, and with two out, scored the game-winning run on Norman's line singe down the left field line.

Eastern Conn. got its two runs in the fifth inning.  Leigha Abair (East Hartford, Conn.) led off the inning with an infield hit. Nikkie Vachon (East Haddam, Conn.) followed with a single and Abair moved to third and Vachon went to second on an error by the KSC right fielder .   With two out, Annmarie Fillian (Canton, Conn.) had a single just over the second baseman's glove to score Abair and Vachon.

The Owls tied the game in the bottom of the sixth.   With two outs Kathleen Gambino (Freeport, N.Y.) singled down the left field line and Norman reached on an error by the ECSU third baseman. Adria Reynolds (Portsmouth, N.H.) then hit a triple to right field to score both runners.

Meghan McLoughlin (Brattleboro, Vt.) scattered six hits and fanned 10 for the complete game victory for the Owls.  She is now 13-2 on the season.  Lindsay Savelle (Cheshire, Conn.), who fanned seven and didn't walk a batter, takes the loss for the Warriors.   She falls to 14-7.  

 KSC (28-9) will face Southern Maine in its next game.    Eastern Conn. (21-18) is eliminated from the tournament with the loss.

Game #9

KEENE, N.H. 5/1/04 - Darci Holland (Buckfield, Me.) came home on an errant throw to the plate to give fourth seed University of Southern Maine a dramatic 2-1 victory over top seed Keene State College in a 16 inning Little East Conference softball tournament game played Saturday in Keene.

With one out in the 16th, Holland walked and moved to second on a single by Natasha Jackson (Augusta, Me.).  Holland advanced to third on a passed ball.  Christen Lachappelle (Farmingdale, Me.) hit the ball back to KSC pitcher Meghan McLoughblin (Brattleboro, Vt.) who stabbed at the ball and then threw too late to get Holland at the plate. 

The Owls got on the board in the top of the fourth. Kari Gardner's (Grafton, Mass) bloop single to left center scored Adria Reynolds (Portsmouth, N.H.),
Southern Maine tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when Kristen Tong (Swanzey, N.H.) doubled and scored on a wild pitch by McLoughlin, who relieved KSC starter Erin Fouroli (Warwick, R.I.).

USM just missed an opportunity to end the game in the 15th..  Jessie Becher (So. Paris, Me.) led off with a double and moved to third on a single by Renee Heath (Brunswick, Me.).  Catterina Rittano (Sangerville, Me.) hit a pop up behind shortstop.  KSC's Amanda Foote (Hudson, N.H.) caught the ball and turned and threw Becher, who had tagged up, out at home plate.

Melissa Henderson (Newburyport, Mass.), who came into pitch in the seventh, gave up six hits, struck out 10 and walked two.  She improves to 15-6.  McLoughlin, who entered the game in the sixth inning, gave up seven hits, fanned six and walked one.  She falls to 13-3.

USM (31-8-1) advances to the LEC Championship game against Western Conn.  Keene State, the defending champ, is eliminated from the tournament. 

Game #10

KEENE, N.H. 5/1/04 -  Third seed Western Connecticut State University captured the 2004 Little East Conference Softball Championship with a 6-3 victory over fourth seed University of Southern Maine in Keene, N.H., on Saturday.

It was the third LEC title for the Colonials, which also won the championship in 2001 and 2002. 

Western Conn, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Meg Cirigliano (Newington, Conn.) doubled and came home on a throwing error by the Southern Maine pitcher.  Mallory Zenkus (Seymour, Conn.) then followed with an RBI single. 

WCSU  added three more runs in the fifth. Katie Wardlow (Old Bridge, N.J.) singled scoring Cirigliano and Cathy Knapp (Monroe, Conn.), and Emily Cullen (Bethel, Conn.) came home on a pass ball.

USM got three runs back in the top of the sixth when Renee Heath (Brunswick, Me.) opened up with a double and then came home on Caterina Riitano's (Sangerville, Me.) two run home run.  It was her second home run of the tournament and the season.

WCSU added an insurance run when Cirigliano hit an RBI double scoring Jen Caveney (Keene, N.H.) who reached after being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the inning.

Named co-MVP of the Tournament, Kristy Swanson (Danbury, Conn.) (9-6) got the win for the Colonials. She pitched the first five innings giving up three runs and four hits while striking out two and walking four batters.  Brooke Morris (Stamford, Conn.) pitched the last two innings to notch her fifth save of the season.

Melissa Henderson (Newburyport, Mass.) (14-7), the other co-MVP of the Tournament took the loss for the Huskies.  She fanned four and walked one batter in her 5.2 innings on the mound.

WCSU improves to 24-13 while USM falls to 31-8-1.