KEENE, N.H. 4/26/08 - The Keene State softball team concluded its regular season by sweeping Southern Maine 3-2 and 7-4 in a Little East Conference doubleheader played at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.

Keene State (22-10, 8-6 LEC) will be the fourth seed in the upcoming LEC tournament which begins Thursday at top seed Eastern Conn.  Southern Maine (16-19, 5-9 LEC) will enter the tournament as the fifth seed.

One of seven seniors honored before the twinbill, second baseman Jessica Starkey (Keene, N.H.) knocked in the winning run in the opener with an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning. Junior third baseman Jenna Patnode (Surry, N.H.) began the two out rally with a single up the middle.  She advanced to second on an error and came home on Starkey's single through the right side. 

KSC pitcher senior Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey, N.H.) gave up a single to Anita Dixon (Limington, Me.) with one out in the top seventh, but got out of the jam to secure the victory. 

USM took a 2-0 in the top of the first.  Junior first baseman Sabrina Mills (Westford, Mass.) opened the game with a double and after advancing on a sacrifice came around to score on an infield single by Dixon.  Dixon scored on a RBI single from Sabrina Sevigny (Sanford, Me.). 

The owls tied the game in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from senior shortstop Colleen Ferguson (Sussex, N.J.) and a runs-scoring single by senior first baseman Kaity Conklin (Selkirk, N.Y.).

Nicholson scattered 11 hits to improve her record to 12-4.  She fanned two and didn't issue a walk. 

Senior Kristina Grondin (Sanford, Me.) (11-4) took the loss for USM.  She allowed eight hits while striking out three and walking four.

Keene State jumped out to 5-0 lead and held on for a 7-4 win in the nightcap.

KSC plated two runs in the first on a two-two run single by senior designated player Melissa Scata (Medway, Mass.). The Owls added to their lead in the second, scoring runs on an error and walk.  A wild pitch brought home a run to make it a 5-0 game in the third.

The Huskies got single runs in the fourth and fifth to cut the lead to 5-2.  KSC answered with two in the bottom of the fifth on RBI hits from junior third baseman Katie Allenson (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and Scata.

USM scored their final two runs in the top of the sixth on RBI hits from junior leftfielder Meghan Ford (Mechanic Falls, Me.) and a ground out.

Scata finished the game with three hits and three RBIs for KSC.  Grondin and Sevigny had two hits each for USM.

Freshman Jessie Williams (Jaffrey, N.H.) picked up the win for the Owls. She went five innings, giving up four runs on nine hits with a strikeout and four walks.  Starkey pitched the last innings, allowing just two hits.

Freshman Sarah Deroche (Portland, Me.) took the loss for USM.