KEENE, N.H. 5/8/10 – A resilient Keene State softball team is still alive in the Little East Tournament after defeating Western Connecticut State University 8-2 in an elimination game on Saturday at Owl Athletic Complex.

            The second seeded Owls (25-13) must win two games against top seed Eastern Conn. to capture the Championship on Sunday.  The Warriors (31-4-1), who have yet to drop a tournament game, need just one victory to secure their first ever LEC crown.  KSC has won four LEC titles, the last coming in 2005.  The first pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.  If a second game is needed it will be played at 1 p.m.

            The loss dropped Western Conn. to 22-18 on the season.

            Both KSC and WCSU played the waiting game as showers prevented the game from starting until 3 p.m.

            “Everyone chipped in to get the field ready. This place was a quagmire when we got out here this morning," said KSC Coach Charlie Beach.

            Keene State scored two in the first and one run in the second and third innings to go up 4-0.  Freshman Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.) had an RBI single in the first.  The Owls took advantage of six Colonial errors, scoring their runs in the second and third on miscues.  “They're a young team and in a tournament like this those things happen,” said Beach.  

            Western scored both of its runs in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Junior Gina Facchini (Voluntown, Conn.) to make it a 4-2 game.

            Taking over for starter sophomore Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.) in the fifth, sophomore Sara Stocklinski (Newton, N.J.) got out of a big jam when she fanned Facchini with two runners on base.  “It was nerve-wracking, but I was able to get the ball by her,” said Stocklinski.

            KSC picked up another run in the bottom of the inning on a RBI ground out by senior Stephanie Lavado (Wallingford, Conn.) that scored junior Katie Bradford (Lebanon, N.H.) who opened the inning by legging out a double.

            The Owls added three more insurance runs in the sixth to go up 8-2. Lavado, who finished the game with three hits and three RBIs, had a two-run double off the fence in centerfield.

            The only senior on the KSC team, Lavado gave up graduation to be with her team.  “I just tried to remain focused,” said Lavado, who had a picture taken with her cap and uniform prior to the start of the game. “It was nice to be home hosting so I could do that.”

            Sophomore Haley Chandler (Wakefield Mass.) went 3-for-3 from the lead-off spot in the line-up.

            Sophomore Danielle Basciano (Holmes, N.Y.) and Facchini each had two hits for the Colonials.

            Albin pitched the first four innings to notch her third win of the tournament, improving her overall record to 9-1.  She gave up two runs on five hits with one strikeout and one walk. Stocklinski allowed a couple of hits in her 1.2 innings in the circle and sophomore Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.) came in to notch her school record eighth save of the season.

            Senior Kara Cullinane (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) took the loss for WCSU.

            Playing two instead of three games on Sunday should benefit the Owls. “Playing three games in one day is really hard, but I have the pitching to do it” said Beach.  “I told my players at the start of the season that the two best teams in the conference are us and Eastern.”