CLERMONT, FLA. 3/14/13 – The Keene State College softball team split its two games at the National Training Center in Clermont, Florida on Thursday.

The Owls (2-4) began the day by suffering a tough nine inning game to Ripon (Wis.) College, but bounced back to defeat FDU-Florham 15-4 in their second game that was halted after five innings. 

Keene State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against Ripon, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a passed ball and a RBI single by senior Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.).

KSC took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on a single up the middle by freshman Morgan Fallon (Reading, Mass.).

The Red Hawks (4-3) tied the game with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. 

The game remained tied until the ninth when Ripon scored two runs to go up 5-3. 

Ripon pitcher Stephanie Rieuwpassa helped her one cause with a two-run single to plate the go-ahead runs.

Keene State got one run back in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by senior Jessica Fiorenza (Wakefield, Mass.), but couldn't get the tying run across the plate. 

The Owls managed just three hits in the game, all singles.

Freshman Mariah Crisp (Greenland, N.H.) was the hard-luck loser in the circle for KSC.  She went the distance, giving up five runs on 10 hits with nine strikeouts.  She is now 1-2 on the season.

Keene State scored its 15 runs on 1o hits against FDU-Florham.

The Owls didn't waste any time getting on the board, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning.  Sophomore Rachael Boynton (Concord, N.H.) had a two-run single in the inning.

KSC added two more runs in the second on RBI double by freshman Stephanie Long (Salem, N.H.) and a run-scoring triple down the left field line by senior Meryl Ragaini (Seymour, Conn.).

The Owls added single runs in the third and fourth innings to go up 9-1 and blew the game open with a six-run fifth inning.  Sophomore Sarah Nichols (Sturbridge, Mass.), Long, and Boynton all had RBI hits for KSCC in the inning.

Long went 3-4 while Nichols and Boynton had two hits each.

Sophomore Kellie Saunders (East Hartford, Conn.) was the recipient of the offensive support.  She went five innings, allowing four hits on eight runs with three strikeouts and six walks to notch her first college win in the circle.

Keene State plays Bowdoin College and Salve Regina University on Friday.