KEENE, N.H.--Junior Kayla Votto hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Keene State College softball team a 3-2 win over Springfield College on Wednesday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex.  The Owls thumped the Pride in the opener, 8-0 in five innings.

Records

• Keene State: 17-13
• Springfield: 23-17

Up Next

• Keene State hosts UMass Boston in an LEC doubleheader on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m, in a makeup from games that were postponed on Tuesday.
• Springfield heads into the NEWMAC tournament as the No. 6 seed, playing Wheaton on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

How It Happened - Game One

• The Owls jumped on Springfield starter Nicole Cring for six runs in the first inning.  KSC sent 10 batters to the plate and chased Cring after just 2/3 of an inning.
• Stephanie Long, one of four seniors honored on the day, led off with a double, and moved to third on Kayla Votto's bunt single.  After Votto stole second, Heather Pelletier drove in Long with a fielder's choice.
• Another fielder's choice, this one off the bat of Morgan Fallon, made it 2-0, and Olivia Indorf drove in Jen Galavotti with a single up the middle.
• Courtney Votto was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Brittany DaMota singled and an error by Springfield cleared the bases for a 6-0 lead.
• That was more than enough for Mariah Crisp, who allowed just five hits and struck out six.  KSC added a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Fallon and another in the fifth from Long to end the game via run-rule.  Crisp improved to 11-6

How It Happened - Game Two

• Keene State honored seniors Fallon, Long, Pelletier, and Crisp between games, then completed the sweep in dramatic fashion.
• Long reached on an infield single in the bottom of the first, stole second, and eventually came around on a single to center from Morgan Fallon.
• It remained 1-0 until the fourth inning, when the Pride tied the game.  Simone Morin reached on a single to short, moved to third on a wild pitch, and touched home plate, sliding in under the throw as Carianna Gasdia reached on a fielder's choice.
• Keene State got out of trouble in the fourth when Talia Loda overran second base on Jenna Webb's groundout, and was tagged out.  KSC starter Molly St. Germain got out of trouble in the fifth, getting Morin to groundout to short with the bases loaded.
• Long singled with two outs in the fifth, and Kayla Votto deposited a pitch from Loda over the fence in left field for her first long ball of the season.   Leah Rowe then shut the door, ending the game by getting Sam Cox to ground out to third base.
• St. Germain (5-6) earned the win, with four strikeouts in five innings.  Rowe notched her second save of the year.