KEENE, N.H. 4/19/10 – The Keene State posted a 2-0 shutout and then battled Springfield College to a wild 10-all tie in non-conference softball action at Owl Athletic Complex on Monday.

Sophomore Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.) with relief help from sophomore Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.) combined for the three hit shutout in the opener.  Savoie (6-2) went the first 5.2 innings, giving up two hits while fanning three and walking a pair.  Pratt pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing a hit and getting a strikeout to notch her fifth saves of the season.

KSC (14-9-1) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth.  Sophomore Laura Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) led off the inning with a double and came home on a fielder's choice and error.  The Owls added an insurance run in the sixth on a single up the middle by freshman Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.).

Chandler had three of the Owls six hits in the game.

The momentum swung with every inning in the nightcap. 

With the game knotted at 5-all, KSC plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI double by Chandler and a run-scoring single by Dupuis.

The Pride tied the game with two runs in the top of the seventh on RBI hits from sophomore Kelsey Dunn (Waterbury, Conn.) and an infield single off the bat of junior Amanda Novak (Cos Cob, Conn.).

In extra innings, Springfield plated three runs in the top of the eighth to go up 10-7.  Freshman Melanie Scuderi (Clifton, Park, N.Y.) had an RBI double and Dunn brought in two runs with a double to left center.

Keene State came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame to tie the score.  Dupuis got one run home on a single.  Senior Stephanie Lavado (Wallingford, Conn.) followed with a fly ball that just made it over the fence in left field.  “I felt like I hit it well, but I was just willing it out as much as I could,” said Lavado about her first home run of the season.  It was a wild game, but we were able to bear down and come back.”

KSC almost won the game when junior Heather Harold (Newtown, N.J.) came up next and drove the ball to deep center, hitting the top of the fence.  She settled for a double and was left stranded.  I thought it might go out. It would have been nice to finish the game with a win,” said Harold.

The Pride did score a run in the ninth, but the game was called and the score reverted back to the last complete inning of play.  

Both teams combined for 25 hits in the second game.  Lavado was 3-for-4 while junior Katie Bradford (Lebanon, N.H.) had two home runs, her fourth and fifth of the season.  Freshman Kayla Joyce (Bridgewater, Mass.), Dupuis, and Chandler, who hit a solo home run in the fourth, also had two hits.

Senior Michelle Wlosek (Nutley, N.J.) had a three hits and Dunn finished with two hits and three RBIs for Springfield (20-16-1).  Freshman Kelly Blake also went deep for the Pride.

Sophomore Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.) started the Owls, who also used sophomore Sara Stocklinksi (Newton, N.H.) and Pratt in the circle. 

Junior Katie Anderson (Andover, Mass.) got the start for Springfield.

Keene State travels to Plymouth on Tuesday for a doubleheader against the rival Panthers.