KEENE, N.H. 4/23/13 — The Keene State College softball team swept a non-conference doubleheader against Middlebury College at Owl Athletic Complex on Tuesday.  The Owls scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning and held on for a 4-3 win in the opener.  Sophomore Katie Newell (Shoreham, N.Y.) was the story in the second game, pitching a complete game one-hitter with five strikeouts and a walk in a 2-0 shutout victory.

The Owls, who were hosting the Panthers for the first time in Keene, improve to 18-11.  Middlebury falls to 20-9. 

Keene State fell behind 3-0 in the first game.  Middlebury scored one run in the top of the first inning on a RBI double by senior Jessica Poracky (Ramsey, N.J.) and two more in the third on a two-run home run by Jessa Hoffman (Golden, Col.).

Senior Jessica Fiorenza (Wakefield, Mass.) began Keene State's four-run rally in the bottom of the third when she walked with the bases loaded to bring in the first run.  Senior Meryl Ragaini (Seymour, Conn.) hit a double off the top of the fence in right field to score two more runs and tie the game.  "When I walk to the plate, I always tell myself to make this at-bat count and I did.  It's fun to come back and gets the win, said Ragaini. Senior Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, Mass.) brought home the fourth and go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. 

Freshman second baseman Sarah Bracken (Windham, N.H.) made the defensive play of the first game when she laid out for a catch in the short right field.  "I thought I could get it," she said.  "I had a pretty good angle on it.  It was one of my better catchers this year. 

Freshman pitcher Mariah Crisp (Greenland, N.H.), who got the complete game win to improve her record to 14-3, kept the Panthers off the board the rest of the way.  She gave up three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks.  Her four Ks gives her 160 on the season, 33 shy of the record of 193 set by Lindsay Blood in 1999.

Junior Alexa Lesenskyj (Robbinsville, N.Y.) took the loss for Middlebury.

Freshman Anna Glassman (East Granby, Conn.) went 3-3 in the game for the Owls. 

Keene State scored the only two runs in the third inning of the second game.  Junior Molly Dussault (Weare, N.H.) opened the inning with a double to left center and came around to score on an error.  Bracken brought home the Owls' second run with an RBI single.

Newell did the rest, setting the side down in order in four of the innings, including the seventh when she got the Panthers to hit into a double play.  "I felt very good about my performance," said Newell, who improved her record to 2-3 on the season. "My change-up was working really well today and I was keeping them off-balance," she said.  "The defense behind me was also great." 

Freshman Neve Stearns (Granby, Conn.) took the loss for Middlebury.

KSC had five hits in the nightcap.  Dupuis and Ragaini had the lone extra base hits.  Dupuis had a double in the fourth and Ragaini doubled in the sixth.

Middlebury was held to just three singles in the game.

Keene State returns to Little East play on Wednesday when they host Plymouth State in a key conference doubleheader (3:30 p.m.).