Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

KEENE, N.H. – Unfortunately for the Keene State College softball team, the first inning of Sunday's doubleheader against the University of Southern Maine told the story of what the afternoon would be.  The Huskies hit a leadoff home run and then cracked a two-run shot three batters later to build a quick 3-0 lead and went on to sweep the Owls by scores of 10-4 and 8-2 while never trailing in either non-conference contest at Owl Athletic Complex.
 
Records

• Keene State:  1-11
• Southern Maine:  20-1-1

How It Happened – Game One
USM continues to build on their best start in school history, winning 20 of 22 games, and are hitting .361 as a team this season.  They wasted no time illustrating both of those facts on the field today, as Erin Martin homered to left on the second pitch of the game and Alexis Brown followed just three batters later with a two-run shot to make it 3-0, scoring Kaitlyn Nelson who had walked.  KSC, who found themselves down three runs after getting just one out, did strand two runners after the inning threatened to be worse and then answered with two in their half of the first to make it a one-run game.  Sara Cote continued her hot start at the plate with a single up the middle to kick of the frame, and she eventually scored along with Kylie Frank, who also had a hit, on Olivia Albert's single in the same direction that made it 3-2.
 
KSC had three hits in the opening frame, but then just that same number over the next three innings while never having more than one runner on base at a time.  The Huskies blew the game open with a seven-run third that saw them rope three doubles (in a five batter span) and a triple.  Lauren Merrill's two-bagger made it 7-2 – helping her own cause in the circle – and knocked KSC starter Albert out of the game after just 2.1 innings.  A two-run triple by .453-hitting Ashley Tinsman with two down widened the lead even further, to 10-2.
 
Merrill (4-0) cruised from there for USM, as she went the distance on 88 pitches.  She allowed four runs (two earned) on 10 hits and struck out three while also being aided by ample run support.  Albert fell to 1-5 after allowing eight runs for KSC, but did have a 3-for-4 effort at the plate while driving in three runs.  Cote doubled and finished 3-for-4 with a run scored.  She ended the day hitting .405 (15-for-37).
 
Southern Maine saw all nine players in the starting batting order record a hit.  Martin, Brown (3 RBI), and Rona Scott each had two.
 
How It Happened – Game Two
The second game was more of the same, as the same suspects from the opener helped guide USM to a 3-0 lead before KSC got the first out.  Martin got on base to lead off the game again – this time with a walk instead of a home run – but she scored anyway on a two-run double by Brown.  Madison Day followed with a two-base hit of her own for a three-run lead.  The Owls then finally got the first out as Belle Snyder lined out the third, but the Huskies were not done in the inning, as Scott plated two more with a hit up the middle.  Cote doubled and Frank singled to start Keene State's half of the first as the Owls desperately needed an answer trailing 5-0, but they had to settle for just one on a sac fly by Albert despite three well-tagged balls in the inning.
 
Southern Maine made it 7-1 with a pair of two-out tallies in the third and that would be plenty for Snyder in the circle, who at one point retired nine Owls in a row before Grace Hallett's walk in the fifth.  She, along with Megan Blanchette, was left on base in that inning.  Snyder (2-0) allowed only two runs and six hits in the seven innings, striking out three.  USM's pitching staff – thanks to Merrill and Snyder, both freshmen – lowered their team ERA to 1.64 on the season.
 
Keene State did have four doubles in the game, but just six hits from six different players overall.  Meanwhile, five Huskies had multi-hit efforts, including Nelson who was 3-for-3.
 
Karissa Kenyon (0-2) started and took the loss for the Owls, allowing five runs (four earned) in a third of an inning.
 
Around the Horn

• Keene State's 10 hits in the opener matched a season-best.  They also had that many in a 5-1 win at Castleton University eight days ago.
• KSC has lost four in a row overall to USM and four of five at home.  The Owls are still 37-27 all-time against the Huskies, but 2-7 in the last nine.

Up Next

• Keene State plays a rescheduled non-conference doubleheader against Castleton (7-5, 4-4 LEC) tomorrow (April 19) at 3:00 p.m.  The teams already split their pair of LEC games.
• Southern Maine heads back to Gorham for a non-league twinbill against Plymouth State University (9-5, 4-2 LEC) on Tuesday, April 20.  First pitch is at 3:00 p.m.