KEENE, N.H. 5/7/11 – Keene State College is one victory away from capturing its third consecutive Division III ECAC New England Softball Championship after winning a pair of tournament games at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.

Junior Haley Chandler's (Wakefield, Mass.) infield single in the bottom of the seventh inning plated the game-winning run in the Owls 4-3 win over fifth seed Simmons College of Boston.  Later in the day, KSC exploded for eight runs in the second inning on the way defeating second seed Brandeis University 11-1 in a game that was halted due to the five-inning rule.

            The top-seeded Owls (29-12-1) can clinch their third straight ECAC crown with a victory over Brandeis or the University of New England in Sunday's second game (11 a.m.).  UNE and Brandeis, who are both 1-1 in tournament play, will play the first tournament game on Sunday at 9 a.m. An in necessary game will be played at 1 p.m.

            "Winning this tournament means a lot to this team,' said sophomore Kayla Joyce (Bridgewater, Mass.). "Hopefully the rain will hold off and we can win another title.   Even though we didn't make the NCAAs, this is something we look forward to.  It's extra time to play a game we love."    

            In the first game of the tournament against Simmons, Keene State took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on sophomore Jess Fiorenza's (Wakefield, Mass.) RBI single up the middle. The Sharks tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a solo home run by senior Courtney Collier (Bolton, Mass.).

            An RBI double down the left field line by junior Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.) put the Owls back on top in the fourth.  KSC added another run on an infield out in the fifth to go up 3-1.

            Simmons tied the score (3-3) in the sixth on RBI hits by junior Sami Hodgkins (Putney, Vt.) and senior Emily Colligan (Leominster, Mass.)

            Fiorenza started KSC's seventh inning rally with a single through the right side.  She advanced to second and third on wild pitches and scored the winning run on Chandler's ground ball to third.  "It was a strange game.  It was back-and-forth the entire game, but we finally got it done at the end,' said Chandler.  "I was just trying to move the ball around because (Coach) Charlie (Beach) was going to send the runner home."  

            Fiorenza went 3-3 in the game while Freshman Ellissa Coburn (Claremont, N.H.) and Savoie each had two hits.

            Junior Sara Stocklinski (Newton, N.J.) started for the Owls, giving up three runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks over the first 5.2 innings. Junior Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.), now 2-0, picked up the win in relief.

            The Owls jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Brandeis, scoring a run on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly.  KSC broke the game open in the second, scoring eight runs on three hits and taking advantage of two errors by the Judges.  Fiorenza had a two run double and Savoie had an RBI single in the uprising that was capped off by Joyce's team-leading eighth home run of the season, a three-run blast over the left field fence.  "I was in a little slump in the Little East tournament, so it felt really nice to get a big hit," said Joyce.  "I wasn't trying to hit a home run, but I hit in hard and I felt it had a chance to go out."  

            KSC was very economical, scoring its 11 runs on just seven hits.  Junior Laura Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) and Savoie each had two hits in the second game.

            Junior pitcher Emily Albin (Bethel, Conn.) improved her record to 11-7 with her five-inning victory.  She gave up one run on four hits while fanning six and walking one.

ECAC Division III Softball Tournament Results – Keene State College

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Game #1          #1 Keene State            4           #5 Simmons College           3

Game #2          #2 Brandeis                  5          # 3 Univ. of New England     1

Game #3          #3 Univ. of New England 4       #5  Simmons                         1

Game #4          #1 Keene State            11        #2 Brandeis                           1  (5 inns)

Sunday, May 15

Game #5          #2 Brandeis vs. #3 Univ. of New England     9 a.m.    (Note Time Change)

Game #6        #1 Keene State vs. Winner of Game #5          11 a.m.

Game #7        If Necessary game                                              1 p.m.