KEENE, N.H. 5/6/04 - Meghan McLoughlin (Brattleboro, Vt.) tossed a complete game one-hitter to lead fourth seed Keene State College to a 2-0 shutout victory over fifth seed Curry College in a ECAC Division III New England Softball Tournament quarter final game in Keene, N.H., on Thursday afternoon.

With the victory, KSC (29-10) advances to the double-elimination tournament, which will be hosted by top-seed Smith College starting Saturday in Northampton, Mass.   KSC will play Smith at 10 a.m. on Saturday.  Smith defeated eighth seed Fitchburg State 1-0 in its first round game on Thursday. 

McLoughlin, the Little East Conference pitcher of the year struck out eight and walked one batter to improve her record to 14-3.

The Owls got on the board in the bottom of the third inning.  Amanda Foote (Hudson, N.H.) struck out, but got on base after a past ball.  She was sacrificed to second by Kathleen Gambino (Freeport, N.Y.), and moved over to third on a fielder's choice.  Adria Reynolds (Portsmouth, N.H.) knocked Foote in with a single to left field.

KSC got an insurance run inn the sixth inning.  Caroline Kurkowski (Niskayuna, N.Y.) opened the inning with a double to center. Annie Devine, (So. Hadley, Mass.), who was pinch-running for Kurkowski, scored on Tiffany Underhill's (Eastham, Mass.) double off the left field fence.

Bethanie Raposa (Tiverton, R.I.) got the Colonel's only hit off McLoughlin, an infield single in the third inning.  Kaitlin Berardi (Roslindale, Mass.) followed with a walk, but both runners were left stranded. 

Kimberly Sturgis (Saugus, Mass.), who fanned four and walked one, took the loss. She is now 20-5. Curry concludes its season with a 36-8 mark.

It was the first meeting between the two teams.