KEENE, N.H. 5/6/10 – Keene State College stayed alive in the Little East Conference softball tournament with a 17-0 shutout win over rival and sixth seed Plymouth State University on Thursday.  Earlier in the day, the second-seeded Owls were pushed into the losers' bracket with a 6-3 loss to fifth seed Southern Maine. 

            Keene State (24-13-1), which is hosting the six-team, double-elimination tournament at Owl Athletic Complex, will play an opponent to be determined on Friday (2.p.m.).

            After dropping its opening tournament game to the Huskies, Keene State took its frustration out on the Panthers, scoring 17 runs on 19 hits in a game that was stopped after five innings due to the eight-run rule. 

            Sophomore Laura Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) began the hit parade with a two-run home run, her eighth of the season, in the first inning.  Junior Katie Bradford's (Lebanon, N.H.) sixth home run of the season, a two run shot, came in a three-run third inning. Sophomore Haley Botti (Dracut, Mass.) opened the fourth inning with her first home run of the season as the Owls plated three more runs to go up 8-0.

            KSC scored nine more runs in a fifth inning that included a three-run home run, the first of her career, by sophomore pitcher Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.).

            Sophomore Haley Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) had four hits and twin sister Laura finished with three hits for the Owls. 

            Albin was the recipient of the offensive explosion.  She pitched a complete game three hitter, fanning six to improve her record to 7-1.

            Ali Keith (Northfield, N.H.) took the loss for Plymouth State. The Panthers, who earlier lost to top seed Eastern Conn., conclude their season with a 13-22 record.

            In its first game of the day against USM, Keene State took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI double by sophomore Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.). 

            Junior Heather Gilman (Fairfield, Me.) put the Huskies up 3-1 on a three-run home run in the third inning. After KSC answered with one run in the bottom of the frame, Southern Maine put three more run up on the board in the third to take a 6-2 lead.  Freshman Katie Davis (Woburn, Mass.) and junior Sarah Deroche (Portland, Maine) had RBI hits for the Huskies in the fifth.

            Laura Chandler and Pratt each had two hits for the Owls.

            Gillman finished the game with four hits and three RBIs for USM, who will face three seed Western Conn. on Friday (12 p.m.).

            Sophomore Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.) took the loss for KSC. She pitched into the fifth inning, giving up six runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.

            Deroche got the complete game win for the Huskies.  She gave up two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and one walk to improve her record to 7-11.

            In other first day games, #1 Eastern Conn. defeated # 6 Plymouth State 3-0, and #3 Western Conn. beat #4 R.I. College 4-1.