MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Junior Ali Cavallaro and graduate student Kayla Volante combined to pitch 13.2 innings (of a possible 14) without allowing a run as Montclair State University shut down the Keene State College softball team, handing the Owls a pair of 5-0 losses Saturday afternoon in non-conference action at the MSU Softball Stadium.

Records

• Keene State:  8-4
• Montclair State:  12-5

How It Happened – Game One
The Owls had three threats in the game, two where they had runners in scoring position with less than two outs, but came up empty as Cavallaro and the Red Hawks rebounded from two Wednesday home losses to Drew University by an 11-4 score to beat KSC 5-0.  Lilah Demmy wiggled the Owls out of trouble in the opening inning after the first two reached, and Bella Seaborn-Coates then kicked off the top of the second with a double as KSC had a chance to get on the board first.  However, a pair of pop outs and a strikeout prevented that.  Molly Murray tripled with two outs in the third, but got no further as Cavallaro stuck out two in the inning, including the hot-hitting Sara Cote for the final out.  Montclair cracked the scoreboard shortly thereafter, as Alyssa Borozan cracked a triple of her own to right with one out in their half of the inning before scoring on the next batter, Jenna Meluso's double, for a 1-0 lead.  The Red Hawks did leave two on in that inning as KSC escaped further trouble, and then did the same in the bottom of the fourth.  It appeared the Owls might make those missed chances hurt, as Mia Ferry singled to left to kick off the fifth before Keene State put two in scoring position – the tying and go-ahead runs – with one out after CC Chadwick's sacrifice bunt was thrown away by Cavallaro.  However, a bouncer to third that cut down pinch-runner Kylie Frank (who replaced Demmy, who reached on a fielder's choice) at the plate and a strikeout left the Owls with nothing to show for it.  That proved to be Keene State's last big threat of the game, as MSU put the game away with a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Katie DeBell and three in the sixth.

Demmy (4-2) took the loss for the Owls, allowing three runs and eight hits in 5.1 innings with three walks.

Cavallaro (7-3) surrendered just three hits in 6.2 innings.  She walked one and struck out seven.

How It Happened – Game Two
A four-run third for Montclair proved to be enough as the Owl offense was held to three singles in the nightcap.  One of those KSC hits came from Faith Barbieri to lead off the game, and she made her way to third with one out on a passed ball and dropped third strike as the Owls had a shot at an early lead.  Cote walked to put two on, but on her attempted steal of second, Red Hawk second baseman Alexis Law fired back home to nab Barbieri and keep Keene State off the board, and that wound up being KSC's only opportunity with a runner in scoring position in the game, as Volante (5-1) induced a whopping 14 ground ball outs.  The Owls never had multiple runners on at once, and after Barbieri's leadoff single, received a two-out infield single from Molly Murray in the third and a leadoff single by Ferry in the seventh.

First year pitcher Carissa Miller kept the Red Hawks off the board over the first two frames, but a four-run, four hit third created separation for the home team.  Borozan started the rally with a triple and immediately scored on Meluso's single that followed.  A miscue on an attempted sacrifice bunt and single up the middle tacked on another for a 2-0 Montclair lead before probably the key hit of the game, a two-out, two-run double to right center by Amber Reed came later in the frame to make it 4-0.

Borozan walked in the fourth and eventually scored on a wild pitch as KSC fell into a 5-0 deficit, which they were never able to dent as Volante at one point retired 10 in a row including nine after her team took the lead in the third.  She allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out two in seven innings.

Miller (4-2) took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts over three innings.

Meluso finished 3-for-4 with an RBI to pace Montclair's offense.  Danielle Sibilio was 2-for-3, while Reed drove in two runs.

Around the Horn

• Graduate students Alexis Blanchette and Meghan Moran each made their season debuts in the doubleheader.  Moran is a career .287 hitter over 64 career games with the Owls, which included a season last year that saw her hit .298 with eight doubles, one triple, one home run, and 13 RBI in 27 games.
• Murray recorded a hit in both ends of the twinbill and is 14-for-31 over the opening 10 games of her rookie season.
• The Owls have lost seven of eight in the series and all six games they have played in New Jersey.
• KSC has been limited to one run or less in all four of their losses this season and has scored four or more runs in every win.  They have 11 hits in their last three games.

Up Next

• KSC is slated to host Springfield College (11-3) in a home-opening doubleheader on Wednesday, March 30 starting at 3:00 p.m.  Continue to check keeneowls.com or our Twitter page @KeeneStateOwls for any spring schedule updates.
• Montclair State, who has played eight home contests already, will tack on two more when they welcome the College of Mount Saint Vincent (3-5) tomorrow (Sunday, March 27) for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.