'Providence, RI  4/22/07  - The Rhode Island College softball team split a Little East Conference doubleheader with Keene State on Sunday afternoon at the Dayna A.

Bazar Softball Complex. Rhode Island College saw its 22-game winning streak come to an end with a game two loss. Rhode Island College senior pitcher Nicole Riley (North Providence, RI) also saw her NCAA Div. III softball

consecutive win streak stopped at 43 games.

Riley was masterful in game one, notching her 20th win of the season,allowing four hits, while striking out eight, to earn her ninth complete game shutout in the Anchorwomen¹s, 3-0, win. RIC took the lead right out of the gates as junior first baseman Christie Lotti (Waterford, CT) singled and eventually scored on junior third baseman¹s Krystal Bilek¹s (Fitchburg, MA) RBI sacrifice fly. Bilek gave the Anchorwomen an insurance run with an RBI single down the first base line in the third, while Lotti scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to round out RIC¹s offensive output. Keene State junior starting pitcher Erin Fuoroli (Warwick, RI) took the loss (8-4), allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits to go along with five strikeouts. 

Keene State junior pitcher Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey, NH) did what only one other team has done to RIC all season, shutting out the Anchorwomen, 4-0, to earn her ninth (9-0) win. Nicholson fired a four-hit shutout with

nine K¹s. Riley was the hard luck loser (20-1), surrendering a leadoff solo home run to junior catcher Melissa Scata (Medway, MA) in the second inning.

She left after three innings, giving way to sophomore Justine Burgess (Uxbridge, MA). Junior shortstop Julia May (Deep River, CT) broke the game open in the fifth, with a two-out, two-RBI double to center field.

Back-to-back one-out doubles by junior first baseman Kaity Conklin (Selkirk, NY) and sophomore left fielder Ashley D¹Amato (Bristol, CT) gave Nicholson another insurance run.

Rhode Island College is currently 27-3 overall and 7-1 in the Little East, while the Owls are 18-4 overall and 5-3 in league action.

This will be an important week for the Anchorwomen, who play four doubleheaders, three of which are against Little East opponents, beginning with Tuesday¹s tilts at Western Connecticut. The Owls will hope to host their first games of the season when they square off against UMass Boston on

Tuesday, Apr. 24.

(Courtesy RIC Sports Information)