'KEENE, N.H. 4/13/06 - The Keene State College softball team
banged out a combined 31 hits on the way to posting a pair of five
inning, non-conference wins over Mass College of Liberal Arts at
Owl Athletic Complex on Thursday. Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey,
N.H.) tossed a two-hitter in an 11-0 opening game victory while
Erin Fuoroli (Warwick, R.I.) allowed just three hits in the 15-0
nightcap win. It was sixth straight win for KSC (16-4) ranked first
in this week's NEISA poll.
The Owls, who finished the game with 14 hits, didn't waste any
time getting on the board in the opener with an eight run first
inning. Jenna Patnode (Swanzey, N.H.) and Kari Gardner
(Grafton, Mass.) had back-to-back triples, Ashlee Nicholson
(Swanzey, N.H.) knocked in two runs with a double, and Emily
Crompton (Concord, N.H.) added an RBI single.
Patnode and Melissa Scata (Medway, Mass.) finished the game with
three hits each.
MCLA had just two hits, a single by Ashley Hauswirth (Methuen,
Mass.) in the first and a double by Amey Backburn (Seekonk, Mass.)
in the third.
Nicholson fanned 10 and didn't walk a batter to improve to 7-3.
Starter Deena Berman-Orbach (Selden, N.Y.) (2-7) took the loss
for MCLA.
The Owls picked up right where they left off with a 12 run, 12
hit first inning in the nightcap. Julia May (Deep River,
Conn.), Fuoroli (Warwick, R.I.), Patnode, and Jessica Starkey
(Keene, N.H.) each had two run base hits. Scata connected for
a three-run homerun, her team-leading fifth of the season.
Tiffany Underhill (Eastham, Mass.) capped the explosion with an RBI
single.
KSC added a run in the fourth on Patnode's run-producing
single. Scata had three more hits and Sarah Campbell (Auburn,
Mass.), May, Tiffany Underhill (Eastham, Mass.), Katie Allenson
(Clifton Park, N.Y.), and Liz Mroczka (Rocky Hill, Conn.) finished
the game with two hits each.
Fuoroli struck out six and didn't allow a walk to improve to
7-1. Julie Hawkins was the losing pitcher for MCLA (5-15).
Keene State returns to LEC play on Saturday when it hosts
Eastern Conn. (1p.m.). Mass College is home on Saturday (1
p.m.) vs. Mass Maritime.
