KEENE, N.H. 5/1/10 – Keene State College and Southern Maine posted comeback wins in a Little East Conference softball doubleheader at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.  The Owls (21-12-1, 8-4 LEC) came from behind to defeat the Huskies 5-3 in the first game.  Southern Maine (9-27, 5-7 LEC) overcame an early deficit to win the nightcap 8-3.

            The Owls split, coupled with Eastern Conn's sweep of R.I. College, gives the Warriors the LEC regular-season championship. Since Eastern doesn't have a home field, the second-place Owls will be the host the tournament, which begins on Thursday.  “I'm not surprised Eastern swept RIC, but I am surprised Eastern can't host,” said KSC Coach Charlie Beach.  “I'm glad that it's us. But there are advantages and disadvantages to hosting the tournament.”

            Keene State last hosted the LEC softball tournament in 2004.

            Falling behind 3-0, the Owls got two runs back in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run double by freshman Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.).

            KSC scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to go up 5-3.  Sophomores Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.) (the first of her career) and Haley Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) hit solo home runs in the fourth and fifth innings respectively and sophomore Elizabeth McNamara (Londonderry, N.H.) had a RBI single in the sixth. 

            Chandler and senior Stephanie Lavado (Wallingford, Conn.) playing her final home regular season games, each had two hits for KSC.

            Sophomore Cerise Humphrey (Fryeburg, Me.) and freshman Katie Davis (Woburn, Mass.) each had a couple of hits for the Huskies.

            Sophomore Sara Stocklinski (Newton, N.J.) in relief of starter Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.) picked up the win. She pitched 3.1 innings of two-hit ball with one strikeout.  Pratt pitched the seventh to get the save.

            Junior Sarah Deroche (Portland, Me.) took the loss (4-11) for USM. She went the distance, allowing five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

            Keene State took an early 2-0 lead in the second game.  Chandler hit her second home run of the day, and seventh of the season in the first to give KSC a 1-0 lead.  Junior Katie Bradford (Lebanon, N.H.) had a two-out RBI triple to make it 2-0 in the third.

            Southern Maine took the lead for good on a three-run home run by sophomore Lauren DiCecco (South Berwick, Me.) in the fifth.  USM added three more runs in the sixth with junior Sarah Cusack (Wells, Me.) driving in a run. Sophomore Jessica Hayden (Madison, Me.) had a two-run home run in the seventh.

            Chandler had two of the Owls' six hits in the nightcap.

            Stocklinski (3-3) was the losing pitcher for KSC.  Sophomore Alexandra Perdomo (Portland, Me.) tossed a complete game six-hitter to get the win for the Huskies. She fanned two and walked three, improving her record to 3-11.