KEENE, N.H. 4/28/12 – The Keene State Softball team celebrated Senior Day by sweeping a Little East Conference doubleheader 7-2 and 10-0 over UMass- Dartmouth at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday.  Several of the Owls' eight seniors played prominent roles in the twinbill with Laura Chandler (Wakefield, Mass.) belting two home runs, twin-sister Haley Chandler also going deep and Emily Albin (Bethel Conn.) tossing a  five-inning no-hitter in the second game. The Owls had 24 hits and five home runs in the doubleheader. 

Winners of six straight, Keene State improves to 22-7-1 (9-3 LEC) and moves into a tie for second place in the LEC standings with Rhode Island College, which spilt its doubleheader at Plymouth State.  The Owls wrap-up their regular season with a key conference doubleheader at RIC on Sunday (4:30 p.m.). The pair of losses drops the Corsairs' record to 12-28 (3-11 LEC).

The Owls scored single runs in the first two innings of the first game.  Senior Sara Stocklinski (Newton, N.H.) brought in the first run with an infield single to through the left side and freshman Samantha Nitso (Londonderry, N.H.) hit a solo home run, her second of the season, in the second.  "I hit it off the sweet spot of the bat," said Nitso.  "I'm getting more at-bats and feeling more confident at the plate.

With the scored knotted at two-all, KSC pulled ahead with three runs in the fourth inning. Nitso had an RBI triple, sophomore Ellissa Coburn (Claremont, N.H.) came through with a run-scoring single, and Haley Chandler and Coburn pulled off a double-steal with Nitso coming home.

Laura Chandler hit the first of her two homeruns in the fifth and Haley Chandler followed with a solo clout in the sixth. It's the third time the twin sisters had had hit home runs in the same game in their careers.  "It's the last big game on our home field and everybody was looking do to well, "said Haley Chandler.

Junior Jessica Fiorenza (Wakefield, Mass.) and Nitso finished the game with two hits.  Sophomore Emily Pontes had two of the Corsairs' five hits in the game.

Stocklinski got the complete game win to improve her record to 9-3.  She gave up two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Senior Brittany Eldridge (Raynham, Mass.) took the loss in the circle for UMD.

Albin pitched her second five inning no-hitter of the season in the second game.  She had her first one back on March 29 against Fitchburg State.  She had a perfect game going until giving up a walk to junior Breanna Marcyoniak (Westfield, Mass.). Senior Diane Barry (Norwood, Mass.) was hit-by-a-pitch in the fifth inning.  Albin fanned 11 batters, one short of her career high while improving her record to 9-3.   "My pitches were working well. They liked my riser and they were swinging at it and that helped a lot," said Albin.  "All the seniors wanted to go out with a good game."

Albin got plenty of offensive support.  The Owls jumped on the Corsairs early, scoring six runs in the first inning.  KSC got its first run with its second double-steal of the day.  Laura Chandler and junior Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.) had RBI singles and senior Maura Began (Manchester, Conn.) capped the inning with a two-run home run, her first college clout.

Laura Chandler hit her second home run of the day and her fifth of the season in the second inning.  "They were meatballs, right down the middle first pitch," said Chandler about her home runs.

In the third, Fiorenza had an RBI double and senior Katie Bradford (Lebanon, N.H.) brought in another run with a single to put the Owls up 9-0.   Bergan plated the Owls' final run in the fourth with a single.

Laura Chandler went 3-3 to lead the Owls' 14-hit attack.  Haley Chandler, Bradford, Bergan and Fiorenza each had two-hits. 

Eldridge also took the loss in the second game for UMD.

KSC seniors:  Laura and Haley Chandler, Samantha Pratt (Bristol, Conn.) Courtney Savoie (Stratham, N.H.), Bradford, Stocklinski, Albin, and Bergan were honored prior to the start of the doubleheader.