KEENE, N.H.--The Keene State College softball team made sure it would have the chance to defend its Little East Conference tournament title with a sweep of Rhode Island College on Senior Day at Owl Athletic Complex.

The Owls ended a six game losing streak with an 11-1, five inning win in the first game, followed by a 9-4 win in game two.  KSC is now 12-16, and 7-5 in the LEC, while the Anchorwomen fall to 6-25, and 2-11 in LEC play.

Keene State can finish as high as the No. 3 seed with a split or sweep of tomorrow's doubleheader with Plymouth State University.  Should the Panthers win both, KSC will be the No. 5 seed, the same position KSC was in to win the tournament a year ago.

Game One

Ashlee McGan pitched a complete game five hitter with six strikeouts as KSC cruised to a win in game one. 

RIC took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Katelyn Sykora singled, took second on a passed ball, and scored on an error.

The Owls quickly tied the score in the bottom half of the inning, as Stephanie Long singled and scored on Sara Bracken's double.  After Aliza Guerrero walked, Rachel Boynton crushed a double to center field, and Katie Newell singled through the left side to score Guerrero to make it 3-1.  Boynton scored on the first of three RIC errors on the day for a 4-1 lead after one inning.

KSC added to their lead in the second inning, thanks to an RBI triple by Aliza Guerrero, another RBI single from Newell, and a 2-run error by the Anchorwomen.

Keene State walked off with the win in the fifth.  Heather Pelletier was hit by a pitch and Bracken walked to set the table for Jen Galavotti, who hit a mammoth home run to straightaway center field to end the game.  It was her fourth home run of the season.

Newell finished the game 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, while Boynton, Bracken, and Long each had two hits.

Game Two

Stephanie Long finished a triple short of the cycle and Mariah Crisp made her first appearance in three weeks as the Owls completed the sweep.

The Owls scored in each of the first four innings, taking advantage of four Rhode Island College errors.  Crisp struck out 12 in seven innings, allowing five hits and just two earned runs.

KSC jumped in front in the bottom of the first when Long smacked a solo homer over the left field fence.  Keene State used the long ball again in the second when Morgan Fallon led off with a walk and Rachel Boynton, one of the three Owls' seniors, hit her first career homer to left-center.

Heather Pelletier reached on a fielder's choice and eventually came around on Stephanie Long's double to left-center.

Rachel Boynton and Caroline McSherry had RBI hits in the third that increased the lead to 6-0, and the Anchorwomen broke up the shutout in the top of the fourth when Sarah Molin doubled in a pair of runs.

KSC made it 9-2 in the fourth.  Long scored on an error, Fallon had an RBI single to center, and Newell brought in another with an RBI groundout.

Long was 3-for-4 with two RBI, adding a double and a single to her solo home run.  Boynton finished with two hits and three RBI and McSherry had a pair of hits.

Before the game, KSC honored seniors Katie Newell, Rachel Boynton, and Sara Bracken, as well as student manager Kellie Saunders for their contributions to the program.

Keene State ends the LEC portion of their season by hosting Plymouth State in a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday.