KEENE, N.H.  4/10/09 - If Keene State had a choice, it most likely wouldn't have picked to open its Little East schedule against three time champion and No. 23 ranked Rhode Island College who came into the doubleheader  with a 16 game winning streak. But the young Owls gave Anchorwomen all it could handle, losing the first game 6-3 and playing to a 6-6 stalemate in the second game that was called in the eighth inning due to darkness. 

Keene State goes to 7-8-1 (0-1-1 LEC) while RIC is now 23-2-1 (3-0-1 LEC).

"I'm very pleased with the way the players are maturing, said KSC Coach Charlie Beach, who has nine freshmen on his roster.  "In the first game, I don't think they realized how difficult this conference is and how good they would have to play to compete with Rhode Island."

Jenna Patnode (Surry, N.H.) hit a solo home run in the first inning to give KSC a 1-0 lead in the opener.  RIC got the run back in the third when Donielle Mattoon (Coventry, R.I.) singled and came home on a bunt single by Michelle Perrin (Saugus, Mass.). 

The Owls scored two runs in the third to go up 3-1.  Patnode walked to open the inning and after stealing second and moving to third on a hit by Ashley Annis (Gilford, N.H.) came home on a sacrifice fly.  Katie Allenson (Clifton Park, N.Y.) followed with an RBI single.

RIC took the lead with four runs in the fifth inning.  Amanda Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) had the big hit for the Anchorwomen, a three run home run.

Patnode had two of the Owls five hits in the game.  Perry finished the game with three hits for RIC.

Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.) (2-3), who took over for starter Ashley Clark (Brentwood, N.H.) in the fifth inning, took the loss for KSC.  Amanda Berard (Swansea, Mass.), who relieved RIC starter Melanie Neece (Westfield, Mass.) in the third, got the win for the Anchorwomen, improving her record       to 7-1.

In the second game, the Owls fell behind 4-0 in the first inning on a grand slam home run by Chelsi Panarelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.).

"We had a little talk between innings and I told them not to try to get it back at one time.  And that's exactly what they did" said Beach. 

The Owls got three runs back in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Laura Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) who knocked in her twin sister Haley, who had doubled.  Allie D'Amato (Bristol, Conn.) followed with a two-run home run, her first of the season.

KSC tied the score in the third on a field choice, but RIC scored single runs in the fourth and fifth to go up 6-4.   The Owls made it a one run game in the bottom of the fifth when Annis tripled and came home on a RBI single by Allenson.   They tied the game in the sixth.  Laura Chandler opened the inning with a double down the left field line and after being sacrificed to third, came home on a ground out. 

Both team had opportunities to score in the eighth inning, RIC loaded the bases in the top of the frame and KSC had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the inning.

Allenson, Laura Chandler, and D'Amato each had two hits for the Owls.  Laura Kostenblatt (Keene, N.H.), Perrin and Perry collected three hits each for the RIC.  

Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.) started for the Owls.  Clark took over in the fourth and gave up one run on hits with a pair of strikeouts and walks.

Jenna Deveines (Lowville, N.Y.) pitched the first two innings for the Anchorwomen.  Berard came in to pitch in the third.  She allowed two runs on six hits while fanning four and walking one.

Both teams have LEC doubleheaders on Saturday.  KSC travels to Eastern Conn.  and RIC goes to UMass-Boston.