KEENE, N.H. 4/20/05 - Keene State College split a non-conference softball doubleheader against Williams College at Owl Athletic Complex on Wednesday. The Owls took the opener 1-0 with the Ephs taken the second game 7-5 in six innings.

In the opener, Williams had a chance to break the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning. Cathleen Clark (Plymouth, N.H.) singled and stole second and third. She was tagged out at third on a failed squeeze play.

The Owls didn't miss their opportunity in the bottom of the inning. With Julie McLaurin (Amherst, N.H.) on first, Julia May (Deep River, Conn.) lined a shot over the leftfielder's head scoring the go-ahead run. Erin Fuoroli (Warwick, R.I.) retired the sides in the top of the seventh to complete her three-hitter. She struck out seven and issued just one walk to improve her record to 5-0.

Clara Hard (Seattle, Wa.), who fanned six and walked three, took the loss for the Ephs.

In the nightcap, Williams scored seven runs in the top of the fourth with Beth Lordge, Margaret Ryan, Kristen Lemons, and Katelyn Knox delivering RBI hits.

The Owls got on the board in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from Melissa Scata (Medway, Mass.). Brittany Littlefield (Saugerties, N.Y.) brought Scata home with an infield out. KSC added three more run in the fifth on an infield hit by Jen Norman (Penacook, N.H.) and a two-run double by Scata.

Kristie Braley (Derry, N.H.), Norman, and Scata had two hits each for KSC.

Freshman pitcher Littlefield, who fanned three and walked two over four innings, suffered her first loss of the season (3-1).

Hard got the pitching win for the Ephs (15-11).

KSC (20-6), which records its eight straight 20-win or better season since moving to Div. III in 1998, will play a LEC doubleheader at UMass-Dartmouth on Saturday.