WESTFIELD, MASS.4/3/08 - The Keene State Owls swept the Westfield State Owls in a softball doubleheader between two highly regarded teams in New England.

Keene State edged Westfield, 6-3, in eight innings in the opener, and pulled away for a 10-2 victory in the nightcap.

The New Hampshire Owls upped their record to 11-3. Two of their losses were to Western Connecticut, a team that Westfield State swept on Tuesday evening. Westfield State is now 10-5.

In the well-played opener, Keene State survived several late-inning Westfield threats and scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning for a 6-3 victory.

Keene took a 1-0 second-inning lead when senior catcher Mo Scata slugged a solo homer over the left-center field fence. Scata is one home run shy of the school's career record of 24 set by Carrah Fisk.

Westfield took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when sophomore catcher Gia Calabrese (West Springfiield) smacked a two-run double.

Keene State regained the lead, 3-2, with two runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Jenna Patnode and an RBI triple by Nikki Lyons.

Westfield tied the score in the home half of the fifth on a two-out RBI double by senior third baseman Adrienne Walker (Springfield/Sci-Tech).

In the sixth, Westfield had a huge scoring threat thwarted. Jen Raymond led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Danielle Lutenegger. Calabrese then blooped a single to left field on a 3-0 pitch to place runners and first and third.

Pinch runner Lisa Donahue stole second, then Jackie Mason walked to load the bases with one out. Keene got out of the jam, however, when Lindsay Jardin's hard grounder up the middle was stabbed by pitcher Ashlee Nicholson, who started an easy 1-2-3 double play.

In the Westfield's seventh, Allison Allen led off with an infield single and was sacrificed to second by Katie Gorman. But she was stranded there as Walker grounded out to third and Alicia Gardner struck out swinging.

Keene scored three runs on three hits in the top of the eighth, with the game-winner an RBI single up the middle by pinch hitter Julia May. Keene then scored on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly by Allie D'Amato.

Keene out-hit Westfield, 11-8. Kaity Conklin, Colleen Ferguson and Ashley Annis each rapped two singles. For Westfield, Allen and Calabrese each had two hits.

Nicholson walked four and struck out six in recording the pitching win. Westfield pitcher Chelsea Sylvia allowed four earned runs and two walks and whiffed four.

In the nightcap, Keene broke open a close game with a five-run uprising in its final at bat. The score was tied 2-2 after four innings, then Keene tallied two runs in the fifth with Ferguson delivering the game-winning hit, a two-run single.

Scata led Keene's 15-hit attack with a double, single and four RBI. Jess Starkey was 3 for 4 with four runs scored.

Jardin was 2 for 3 for Westfield and Calabrese had an RBI single.

Jessie Williams hurled five complete innings to improve her record to 4-2. Nicholson pitched the final two innings to record her second save.