KEENE, N.H.  4/25/10 – The Keene State softball team split a Little East Conference doubleheader against Eastern Conn. State University at Owl Athletic Complex on Sunday.

Eastern Conn. won the opener 3-0 behind sophomore All-America Molly Rathbun (Hebron, Conn.), who tossed a complete game five-hitter.   Sophomore Haley Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) and senior Stephanie Lavado (Wallingford, Conn.) each knocked in two runs in the Owls' 8-2 second game victory.

Winners of five of its last six games, Keene State (20-11-1, 7-3 LEC) registers its 13th consecutive 20-plus win season since joining Division III in 1998.

The Warriors (22-4-1, 9-1 LEC), who came into the twinbill ranked #19 nationally and second in New England, suffered their first LEC loss of the season.

Rathburn was the story in the first game.  She struck out 12 and issued two walks to improve her season record to 16-1.  She also helped herself offensively by hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning.  The Warriors added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single by sophomore Priscilla Alicea (Stratford, Conn.).

Lavado, who had three of the Owls five hits in the game, twice hit the top of the fence with long drives to the outfield.  Both times she had to settle for doubles. Haley Chandler had the other two hits for KSC.

Sophomore Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.) took the loss (8-3) for KSC. She pitched four innings, giving up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Keene State had better luck against Warrior starter Rosie Manzo (Hudson, Mass.) in the second game.  The Owls scored two runs in the first on RBI doubles from junior Katie Bradford (Lebanon, N.H.) and Lavado.

In the third, Chandler hit her fourth home run in two days, a solo shot to left, and  Lavado also had an RBI single up the middle to give KSC a 4-0 lead.

Eastern scored its only runs of the game in the fourth on a two-run single by senior Katie O'Toole (Waterbury, Conn.).

Freshman Jessica Fiorenza (Wakefield, Mass.) had an RBI double in a two-run fourth inning for the Owls.

Keene State Coach Charlie Beach said it was important for the Owls to come back and take the second game.  “I thought the first game could have gone either way,” he said.  “As far as the second game, I thought having better secondary pitchers was a key.”

 “Everyone did their job in the second game,” said Haley Chandler. “It's a big boost to split with them. They showed they can beat us and we showed we can beat them.  “It's going to be interesting come tournament time.”

Chandler added three more hits in the second game and finished the doubleheader going five-for-eight.  Lavado had two more hits.  She was five-for-six in the two games.  Sophomore Laura Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) and Bradford also had a couple of hits for KSC.

Senior Ashley Sullivan (Trumbull, Conn.) had two of the Warriors' seven hits in the nightcap.

Sophomore Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.) pitched into the fourth inning for the Owls, before giving way to sophomore Sara Stocklinski (Newton, N.H.), who picked up the win (3-2).  Stocklinski gave up three hits while fanning two and walking two in her 1.2 innings in the circle. 

Manzo (0-1), the first of four Warrior pitches, took the loss.

Keene State is at UMass-Boston on Tuesday for an LEC doubleheader.