CLERMONT, FLA. .  3/13/13 – It was one up and one down for the Keene State College softball team in Clermont, Florida on Tuesday.  The Owls (1-3) defeated Simmons College 5-3 and later lost a 5-4 game to St. Scholastica from Duluth, Minn.

Trailing 1-0 against Simmons, the Owls scored three runs in the bottom of the second to go up 3-1. KSC scored three unearned runs when freshman Stephanie Long's drive was misplayed by a Shark outfielder.

After Simmons plated two runs to tie the game in the fourth, KSC answered with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.  Once again KSC took advantage of an error to score its run in the fifth and Long, who finished the game with four RBIs, had a run-producing single in the sixth.

Freshman pitcher Mariah Crisp (Greenland, N.H.) picked up her first college win in the circle for the Owls.  She gave up three runs on eight hits with 11 strikeouts and five walks.

Falling behind St. Scholastica 1-0, KSC tied the game in the top of the second on a bases loaded walk by sophomore Katie Newell (Shoreham, N.Y.). 

The Saints scored three runs in the second and one more in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.

Keene State got two runs back in the sixth with junior Molly Dussault (Weare, N.H.) delivering a RBI double. The owls cut the lead to 5-4 in the seventh when freshman Ellissa Coburn walked and came around on an error.

Senior Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.) had two of the Owls seven hits in the game while freshman Christy McGraw (Hudson, Mass.) had a couple of RBIs.

Senior Meryl Ragaini (Seymour, Conn.) took the loss for KSC.  She pitched four innings, giving up five runs on seven hits with a strikeout and two walks.

Keene State plays Ripon (Wis.) College and FDU-Florham on Wednesday.