KEENE, N.H.  4/7/11 – The Keene State softball Owls won the battle of the birds, sweeping the Westfield State University Owls 4-3 and 3-1 in Keene on Thursday.

Winners of six straight, KSC improves to 15-5.  WSU falls to 9-10. 

Keene State got a pair of strong starts in the doubleheader sweep.  Junior Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.), who evened her record at 3-3, gave up three runs and scattered seven hits to get the win in the opener.  She struck out three and walked one.  Taking over in the seventh with the tying run on first, junior Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.) fanned three of the four batters she faced to pick-up her fourth save of the season.  "The key is to stay calm," said Pratt.  "I just tried to throw strikes with my drop ball.  I was living on the outside corner and got the calls." 

Junior Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.) pitched a complete game three-hitter in the second game.  Improving her record to 5-2, she fanned 10 and didn't issue a walk.  "Overall I was happy with my performance, my pitches were working and I had a good defense behind me," said Albin.  "After the first inning I could tell I was going to have a good day."

Both teams traded runs in the first inning of the opener.  Senior Alicia Gardner (Athol, Mass.) had an RBI double for WSC and KSC junior Laura Chandler, who missed the last 10 games with a leg injury, doubled to right center to tie the game.

Keene State took a 2-1 lead in the third on an RBI double by junior Sara Stocklinski (Newton, N.J.)  Westfield came right back to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Courtney Begin (Salem, Mass.) and an infield hit by junior Kerin DeGirolamo (North Attleboro, Mass.).

KSC tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by freshman Ellissa Coburn (Claremont, N.H.).  Junior Haley Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) opened the fifth with an infield single.  After stealing second and third, she scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Stocklinski.  Chandler scored three of the Owls four runs in the game. 

Senior Kristyn Carroll (Brockton, Mass.) and Begin each had two hits for WSC.

Freshman Kerry Alcott (Groton, Mass.) (1-2) took the loss for Westfield. She allowed four runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Keene State scored single runs in the first and second innings of the nightcap to go up 2-0.  Stocklinski hit a solo home run, her third of the season to give KSC a 1-0 lead in the first.  "I knew she was throwing risers, so I just went with it," said Stocklinski. "I had a feeling it was going to go out by the way it came off the bat." 

Junior Maura Bergan's (Manchester, Conn.) RBI single in the second made it 2-0.  KSC added an insurance run in the fifth when Haley Chandler singled and scored on a wild pitch.

Westfield's lone run came in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by junior Amber Coburn (Colrain, Mass.).

Junior Laura Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) had two of Keene State's eight hits in the second game.

Junior Madeline Tomich (Alford, Mass.) got the start for Westfield and took the loss, dropping her record to 8-2.  She gave up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

Both teams return to conference play on Saturday.  Keene State is at Western Conn. and Westfield hosts Bridgewater State.  Both doubleheaders start at noon.