SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Keene State College softball team hit their first two home runs of the season as they built a 4-0 lead in the first of two non-conference games Thursday afternoon at Golden Bear Park.  However, Western New England University scored five consecutive runs to post a walk-off win on a bases loaded walk and then shut out the Owls 5-0 in the second game, holding KSC scoreless for the final 11 innings.

Records

• Keene State:  8-8
• Western New England:  9-6

How It Happened – Game One
The doubleheader got off to a great start for the Owls, who scored three runs in the second on home runs by Mia Ferry – the first of her career – and Kate Fisher to build a 4-0 lead, but the Golden Bears scored in each of the final four innings to hand Keene State a bitter loss.  Only one of Western New England's five runs scored on a hit – Dina DiBlasio's solo homer in the fourth that made it 4-1 – and two unearned runs perhaps turned a one-run win into a one-run loss.  WNE got within 4-3 in the fifth after Alex Ferriouolo doubled and Paige Baca singled to start the inning, both of whom scored later in the inning on an error and sacrifice fly, respectively.  KSC's four-run cushion was completely gone in the sixth, as the Golden Bears loaded the bases on three singles (one on a bunt) with nobody out and tied the game on Ferriouolo's grounder to second.  Carissa Miller, who entered in relief of Lilah Demmy to start the inning, did well to work out of further trouble, striking out pinch-hitter Madison Mason looking for a big second out before Gracie Hemstock popped out to third to keep it a 4-4 game through six.  Aiming to build on that momentum, Keene State did get three consecutive singles in the seventh, but Kylie Frank was thrown out at second on the first of them, and the Owls did not ultimately get a runner past second in the frame.  Western New England then walked off in their half of the inning despite managing just one hit, a DiBlasio single to center that put runners on first and third with one out.  Kalley Carrano was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and KSC was handed their sixth straight loss after issuing a free pass to Cori Rizzo.

After Meghan Moran's single put the Owls up 4-0 with two outs in the third, Keene State was limited to one hit over the next 12 batters by Ava Blanchard, who entered in the circle for WNE after starter Emilia Garcia was chased after one-plus innings that saw her allow three runs and three hits (two home runs).  Blanchard (3-1) allowed one unearned run and five hits over the final six innings, striking out four.  From the fourth through the sixth as the Golden Bears began to rally, she faced the minimum number of Owls at the plate in that span.

Demmy allowed three runs (two earned) and three hits over five innings.  She walked two and struck out three.  Miller (4-3) took the loss after surrendering two runs (one earned) and four hits over the final 1.1 innings.

Fisher finished 1-for-3 with the two-run homer at the plate, while Ferry was 1-for-3 with a solo shot.  Moran added a pair of hits and an RBI.  DiBlasio was 2-for-4 with a homer to pace Western New England's offense, which saw five different people drive in a run.

How It Happened – Game Two
The Golden Bears bottled whatever momentum came from their game one win and carried it over to the second contest quickly, building a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and that was more than enough for Megan Beebe who allowed just four singles and a walk while striking out 10 in a complete game effort.  KSC's offense was mostly dormant, not recording their first hit until the fourth as they could not crack the scoreboard for the fourth time in the past six games.  Moran's infield single in that inning put two on with two outs in a 4-0 game after Sara Cote had walked to end a string of 10 straight retired, but a grounder to third ended that threat and the Owls never again did put two runners on at once in the contest.  Beebe (3-3), who had allowed 18 earned runs over her first 21.2 innings of the season, dominated for the second straight outing after a one-run, 12-strikeout effort against Fitchburg State University on March 27.  She threw 82 pitches.

After a 1-2-3 first for the Owls, WNE went ahead three batters in as Taylor Keegan, Kaleigh Blades, and DiBlasio all singled, with Keegan coming home on an error.  An RBI grounder by the next batter Carrano tacked on another, and Rizzo's two-out single had the Golden Bears in front by three right away.   She tacked on another two innings later to make it 4-0.  Another run came across in the fifth when the hosts again began the frame with three consecutive singles (all 10 of their hits in the game were) and scored on a bases loaded free pass.  WNE improved to 7-1 when scoring five or more runs in a game this season, while the Owls have dropped seven of eight when scoring four runs or less and seven in a row overall, totaling six runs.

Moran finished 2-for-3 in the nightcap and 4-for-6 with an RBI on the day.  Megan Blanchette (1-3) and Liv Whittier (1-2) had KSC's other hits.  Alexis Blanchette got the start in the circle, taking the loss after allowing five runs and nine hits in four innings with one walk and one strikeout.  Demmy followed with two scoreless frames.

Ferriouolo was 3-for-3 with a run and stole a base, while Rizzo was 2-for-3 and drove home two runs to pace WNE's offense.  DiBlasio (2-4, 2 R) also had a multi-hit effort.

Around the Horn

• Home runs have been a rare sight at Owls games from either side; the two hit by KSC and the one by WNE in today's opener were the first at any Keene State game this season.  Fisher's blast was the second of her career after she hit her first last season.
• The Owls still have six qualified players hitting .317 or better, paced by Cote's .395 average and Bella Seaborn-Coates' .378.
• KSC has dropped four straight and seven of the last eight in the series, four by one run.  Three of the four all-time games in Springfield – all since 2018 – have been one run games (WNE 2-1).

Up Next

• Keene State heads to New England College (1-5) for a non-league twinbill on Sunday, April 3 at 12:00 p.m.  It is scheduled to be the Pilgrims' third consecutive doubleheader.  The teams have not met since 2011, and in Henniker for just one doubleheader previously.
• Western New England stays home to host Salve Regina University (8-5) on Saturday, April 2 for a Commonwealth Coast Conference doubleheader that also starts at noon.