BABSON PARK, Mass. - Keene State College senior Meghan McLoughlin (Brattleboro, Vt.) struck out 11 en route to her eighth shutout of the season as the third-seeded Owls defeated second-seeded Babson College, 4-0, in game four of the 2005 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament New England Regional at Babson on Friday. Keene State (33-6) will now face Williams College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, while Babson (37-7) will take on Bridgewater State College in an elimination game at noon on Saturday.

McLoughlin (14-3) got all the offensive support she would need in the top of the first inning, as junior Sarah Campbell (Auburn, Mass.) drew a lead-off walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and advanced to third on a single to first-year Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey, N.H.). First-year Melissa Scata (Medway, Mass.) then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Campbell with the game's first run.

Keene State added two more runs off Babson junior Meg Gaskell (Uxbridge, Mass.) in the top of the fourth, both of which were unearned. After a one-out error and a wild pitch, sophomore Kari Gardner (Grafton, Mass.) ripped an RBI-double to right, giving her team a 2-0 lead. Another wild pitch moved Gardner to third, and, two batters later, sophomore Kathleen Gambino (Freeport, N.Y.) singled her in with the Owls' third run. Scata would finish off Keene State's scoring one inning later, when she doubled in Campbell for her second RBI of the contest.

McLoughlin was magnificent in the victory, scattering five hits and three walks while fanning 11 in seven innings of work. The Beavers' best chance to score came when they loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but McLoughlin got sophomore Darcy Lantz (Kingston, Pa.) to strike out on a high fastball to finish off the 4-0 win.

Gaskell (14-2) suffered just her second defeat of the season for Babson, giving up four runs, two of which were earned, on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. First-year Alisha Blischok (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) when the final 2 1/3 for the Beavers, allowing just two walks while striking out two. Sophomore Andrea Cartullo (Holbrook, Mass.) and senior co-captain Kara Courtney (Northampton, Mass.) led Babson with two hits apiece.

(Courtesy Babson Sports Information)