'KEENE, N.H.  4/25/07 - The rain returned to Owl Athletic Complex, but that didn't prevent the Keene State College softball team from sweeping New England College (11-2 and 15-3) in a pair of five-inning games on Wednesday.

Winners of seven of their last eight, KSC improves to 22-4. NEC falls to 12-18.

Both took advantage of miscues to get on the board in the first game.  Jessica Starkey (Keene, N.H.) came home on a first inning passed ball. In the top of the second, NEC's Amanda Lester (Columbia, Conn.) came around to score on a throwing error.

The Owls broke the tie in the bottom of the inning when Allie D'Amato (Bristol, Conn.) scored on an infield hit by Starkey.

KSC broke open the game with an eight-run third inning.  The Owls got run-producing hits from by D'Amatao, Starkey, and Colleen Ferguson  (Sussex, N.J.) and a bases clearing three-run triple down the left field line by Jenna Patnode (Surry, N.H.) in the uprising.

The Owls finished the game with 12 hits.  Patnode finished with two hits and three RBIs. Starkey, Ferguson, Allenson, Conklin, and D'Amato had two hits.  Eight Owl players scored at least a run.

Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey, N.H.), improved her record to 10-0.  She gave up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Katie Harmon (Saxton's River, Vt.) took the loss for the Pilgrims.  She fanned four and issued six walks.

In the first inning of the second game, the Owls scored four runs on one hit, four walks, two passed balls, one wild pitch, and one error. 

Sierra Thibeault (Brunswick, Me.) had an RBI single in the top of the second to make it. 4-1.

In the bottom of the second, Mo Scata (Medway, Mass.) and  MJ Hancock (Gardner, Mass.) had RBI hits and Julia May (Deep River, Conn.) scored on a fielder's choice to make it 7-1.

In the third, Lester had a two-run single to cut the Owls' lead to 7-3.

In the bottom of the inning, Kaity Conklin (Selkirk, N.Y.) had a two-run single down the right field line as KSC went up 10-3.

Kathleen Gambino (Freeport, N.Y) had four hits in the 13 hit attack.  May and Conklin had two hits each.  Scata finished the game  with three RBIs.

Erin Fuoroli(10-4) struck three and walked one in her five innings on the mound.

Dee Brayton (Queensbury, N.Y.) took the loss for the Pilgrams.

KSC hosts rival Plymouth State on Thursday (4 p.m.).