CLERMONT, FLA.  3/18/11 – The Keene State College softball team split a pair of games at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida on Friday.  After losing to Hamline University of Minnesota 5-4 in a nine inning game, the Owls bounced back to win its second game in six innings, 11-3 over Knox College of Illinois.

Trailing 1-0 against Hamline, KSC tied the score in the sixth on a RBI single by freshman Molly Dussault (Weare, N.H.).

The game remained tied until the ninth inning when the Pipers plated four runs to go up 5-1.  The Owls got three runs back in the bottom of the inning, coming up one run short.  Junior Haley Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) had an RBI double and sophomore Jessica Fiorenza (Wakefield, Mass.) followed with a two-run single for KSC in the ninth.  "We had them on the ropes several times," said KSC Coach Charlie Beach about his team that left 11 runners on base in the game.

Keene State finished the game with 11 hits.   Chandler went 3-5 while junior Sara Stocklinski (Newton, N.J.), Dussault, and Fiorenza each had two hits.

Junior Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.) took the loss and is now 2-2 on the trip. She pitched all nine innings, giving up five runs on 12 hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks.  

The Owls had an easier time against Knox College.  Taking a 1-0 lead in the first, KSC scored three more times in the third to take a 4-0 lead.  Dupuis had a key RBI double in the inning.

 Keene State scored a single run in the fifth and ended the game in the sixth when six Owl players crossed the plate.  Dupuis had a two-run double and junior Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.) and sophomore Kayla Joyce (Bridgewater, Mass.) added RBI hits in the decisive inning. 

Dupuis had three doubles to highlight KSC's 14 hit attack.  Freshman Arrielle Connolly (Braintree, Vt.), Stocklinski, Chandler and Pratt all had two hits each for the Owls.

Stocklinski improved her record to 5-0 with the win. She gave up three runs on two hits with 11 strikeouts and three walks in her six innings in the circle.

Keene State (8-3) concludes its spring week trip with a Saturday morning game against Wisconsin-Whitewater (9:30 a.m.).