KEENE, N.H. 3/29/13 – The Keene State College softball team celebrated its return to Owl Athletic Complex by sweeping a non-conference doubleheader over SUNY-Old Westbury on Friday.

Freshman Stephanie Long (Salem, N.H.) belted a walk-off home run in the Owls 6-5 first game victory.  Senior Meryl Ragaini (Seymour, Conn.) had a home run and four RBIs to lead KSC to a 6-1 win in the second game.

With its two wins, Keene State evens its record to 7-7.  Old-Westbury drops to 7-9.

Keene State didn't waste any time getting on the board in the opener, plating three in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by senior Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.) and a two-run home run by senior Jess Fiorenza (Wakefield, Mass.)

The Owls added two more runs in the sixth to take a 5-1 lead.  Dupuis had a RBI double to right center and freshman Morgan Fallon (Reading, Mass.) had an RBI single up the middle.

Junior Samantha Howley (Levittown, N.Y.) tied the game with a two-out grand slam home run in the top of the seventh inning.  Her fly ball to left field hit the top of fence and then rolled over it.

Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Long played long ball. She hit a fly ball that cleared the left field fence to give KSC the dramatic win.  Long said she didn't get discouraged after the Panthers tied the game. "I was just thinking that it was of a new game and I was leading off," said Long.  "I didn't think  it was going out until on-deck hitter Sarah Bracken screamed 'Get Out''

It was Long's first home run of the season.

Long and Fiorenza each had two hits in the game for the Owls.

Freshman Mariah Crisp (Greenland, N.H.) got the complete game win, improving her record to 5-2. She allowed five runs on seven hits while fanning 10 batters. She has fanned at least 10 batters in five of her seven starts this season.

Senior Alyssa Clancy (Remsenburg, N.Y.) took the loss for the Panthers.

Keene State also jumped out to an early lead in the second game.  After Old-Westbury scored a run in the top of the first, Keene State answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning on a three-run blast by Ragaini to give KSC a 3-1 lead. Ragaini said she wasn't trying to hit the ball out.  "I was just trying to hit the ball up the middle," said Ragaini about her leading fourth home run of the season. "If it goes out then it just happens." 

Ragaini wasn't through just yet.  She had an RBI double in the fifth to give KSC a 4-1 lead.  

The Panthers had runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the sixth, but sophomore right fielder Katie Newell (Shoreham, N.Y.) made a nice running basket catch to end the threat.

KSC tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth with Long knocking in a run with a double up the gap in left field.

Freshman Christy McGraw (Hudson, Mass.) and Ragaini each had two hits for the Owls.

Sophomore Jackie Alvarado (Bay Shore, N.Y.) had two of the Panthers six hits in the game.

Freshman Kellie Saunders (East Hartford, Conn.) gave Keene State a solid start, allowing one run on five hits with a couple of strikeouts.  She improves her record to 2-1. Crisp came into the game in the sixth and struck out three  batters to notch her first save of the season.

Clancy also took the loss for Old-Westbury in the nightcap.

Keene State is off until next Saturday April 6 when it plays a doubleheader at UMass-Dartmouth.