WILIMANTIC, CONN.  3/26/08 - Keene State stayed alive in the Little East Conference Softball Tournament with a 10-4 victory over rival Plymouth State at Spector Field in Willimantic, Conn. on Friday night.  Earlier in the day, the Owls got pushed into the losers' bracket with a 5-3 loss to second seed Rhode Island College.

Keene State (24-11), the tournament's four seed, will face either top seed Eastern Conn. or RIC in an elimination game on Saturday (11 a.m.).

Keene State scored three runs in the top of the first against Plymouth on four singles, an error and a passed ball. The Panthers came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame against senior pitcher Ashlee Nicholson (Swanzey, N.H.), who was doing double-duty after also starting against RIC.

The Owls took the lead back in the top of the second on a pair of doubles by junior left fielder Allie D'Amato (Bristol, Conn.) and senior second baseman Jessica Starkey (Keene, N.H.).

KSC added two more runs in the fourth on a RBI single by junior third baseman Katie Allenson (Clifton Park, N.Y.) and a throwing error and a single run in the fifth on a RBI double by sophomore catcher Stephanie Lavado (Wallingford, Conn.).

The Owls plated three more runs in the seventh on RBI hits from junior center fielder Jenna Patnode (Surry, N.H.) and Starkey, who went four-for-five in the game.

Allenson, senior designated player Melissa Scata (Medway, Mass.) and D'Amato had two hits each in the Owls' 14-hit attack.

Nicholson (14-5) settled down to pick up the win.  She gave up four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

Plymouth State (25-14) was eliminated from the tournament with the loss.

Rhode Island College scored one run in the second and two more in the fourth against KSC to go up 3-0.  The Owls got two runs back in the bottom of the third on a two-run single to right by D'Amato. 

The Anchorwomen went up 5-2 in the top of the sixth.  The Owls came back with one run in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run by senior right fielder Julia May (Deep River, Conn.).

Scata, senior first baseman Katie Conklin (Selkirk, N.Y.) and May had two hits against RIC.

Nicholson allowed five runs on nine hits while fanning seven and walking two.

The Owls came out of the losers' bracket to capture the championship in 2003.