KEENE, N.H. – Castleton University scored the opening three runs of the day and closed with the final four, hitting five home runs in the process, as they went on to a pair of wins, 7-4 and 5-2, over the Keene State College softball team in a Little East Conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Records

• Keene State:  11-13, 1-5 LEC
• Castleton:  11-6, 4-0 LEC

How It Happened – Game One
The Spartans were up 2-0 four batters in and 3-0 after the top of the first as they led throughout while taking the opener.  Single runs in the first and second innings helped KSC get within one, but three home runs between the fourth and fifth innings from three different players stretched Castleton's lead to 7-2 and they were mostly able to cruise from there to a 3-0 conference record.  Machaila Arjavich's two-run blast in the first not only gave her team a quick 2-0 edge, but also was the beginning of a game in which they went 5-for-12 with two outs (.417) to prolong most innings for KSC starter Lilah Demmy.  The Owls put the leadoff batter on in four of seven innings and hung around initially, getting within 3-2 in the second after Meghan Moran's run-scoring base hit in the first and Faith Barbieri's two-out infield single in the second.  Demmy worked out of trouble in the third and Sara Cote, who was 3-for-6 on the day with her first career homer, singled to start the KSC half of the inning, but the next three were retired and Castleton then took a 5-2 edge in the fourth on Kate LaPan's two-run homer.  Olivia Joy sent the Owls down 1-2-3 in the fourth and her team then chased Demmy with back-to-back homers by Makenna Thorne and Kylie Wright to start the fifth, opening up a 7-2 lead.  KSC got two runs right back on Cote's blast to make it 7-4 through five, but had just one hit thereafter, a Barbieri leadoff single in the seventh that was unable to spark a rally.

Barbieri, Molly Murray, and Cote combined to go 6-for-11 and drive in three runs out of the top three spots in the Owls' order, scoring three times also, but KSC had just one hit out of the five through nine spots.  Moran finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and Demmy 1-for-2 with a run scored.

Castleton had four multi-hit efforts, including a 3-for-4 showing from Wright, who drove in two.  LaPan (2-4, HR, RBI), Thorne (2-4, RBI, 2 R), and Allison Almond (2-4) each recorded a pair of hits.

Demmy (6-5) allowed seven runs and nine hits to take the loss for Keene State in the circle.  She walked two and struck out three.

Joy (4-3) pitched a complete game, allowing four runs on eight hits while issuing one walk and whiffing four.

How It Happened – Game Two
Castleton again scored right away, going up 1-0 on Arjavich's two-out double, but KSC scored single runs in the second and third to go in front 2-1.  The Owls nursed that lead into the sixth before the Spartans scored four runs in the final two innings to wrap up their second straight sweep at Owl Athletic Complex dating back to last season.  CU again went 5-for-12 with two outs – finishing 10-for-24 on the day – and that included a crucial game-tying home run from Wright in the sixth that save the Spartans a big jolt.  Carissa Miller got the start in the circle for the Owls and, after a first inning where she surrendered a run, then allowed just three hits over the next four scoreless innings while enabling her team to provide her a lead.  After KSC went in front 2-1 in the third, she easily worked around a leadoff single from Thorne by striking out the side in the fourth, three of her eight on the day, and then had clean frame in the fifth.  She seemed to be heading in that direction in the sixth, too, after fanning Arjavich and getting Thorne to pop out to Grace Hallett in foul territory behind the plate, but Wright tied the game with a two-out blast to right center.  Cote pulled a single into left to start the bottom of the sixth for KSC in a 2-2 game, however Wright then induced three consecutive ground ball outs to end the frame.

A pair of walks to start the seventh hurt badly, as Castleton scored twice before the Owls recorded an out, and the first batter they did retire came on Arjavich's grounder to second that made it 5-2.  Alexis Blanchette relieved Miller after the free passes with the game still tied, but a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, and they then both came home on consecutive base hits from Hannah Mosher (to shortstop) and Jamie Boyle (to right).

Castleton outhit the Owls 9-5 in the game and won despite striking out nine times compared to KSC's two.  Arjavich doubled and drove in two to pace the Spartans' offense, while Mosher (2-3, RBI, 2 R), Thorne (2-4), and Almond (2-3) also had multi-hit games as the Spartans hit .345 against KSC pitching on the day.  Wright (4-1) got the win in the circle by pitching 2.2 scoreless frames, allowing one hit and walking one.  Katie Gallagher got the start and lasted 4.1 innings before being lifted down 2-1.

Murray was the lone Owl with multiple hits, finishing 2-for-3.  Megan Blanchette had KSC's only extra-base hit in the nightcap, connecting on a solo homer – the second long ball of her career – in the second that tied the game at one.  Barbieri (1-3, BB, R) and Cote (1-3) were the only other Keene State players with hits.

Miller (5-5) took the loss after surrendering four earned runs and seven hits in six innings.  She walked two and struck out eight, and has a 2.66 ERA on the season, good for a top 15 mark in the league as a freshman.

Around the Horn

• Cote raised her average over .400 – at .402 (ninth in the conference) – with her three hits in six at bats.  She is eight for her last 15 overall and has a 1.091 season OPS. 
• KSC has lost four straight and five of six in the series.  Since sweeping Castleton 4-3 (8) and 11-3 (5) in 2019, they have lost four straight games to them here on their home field.  The teams had never played prior to 2015, and not as league foes until 2019.

Up Next

• Keene State has a make-up doubleheader tomorrow (Wednesday, April 13) against Westfield State University (8-14, 3-1 LEC) beginning at 3:00 p.m.  WSU started the season 3-13 but is 5-1 since.
• Castleton hosts a key league twinbill against No. 6 nationally ranked Eastern Connecticut State University on Saturday, April 16 starting at 1:00 p.m.  The Spartans and Warriors are currently in a virtual tie for first, though CU is one game ahead in the loss column.