Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

HENNIKER, N.H. – Meghan Moran, Alexis Blanchette, and Bella Seaborn-Coates all homered for the Keene State College softball team in the first of two games Sunday afternoon, and the Owls then rode the complete game, ten strikeout effort of Lilah Demmy in the nightcap to complete a 9-4 and 2-0 doubleheader sweep of New England College at Old Concord Road Field.

Records

• Keene State:  10-8
• New England College:  5-7

How It Happened – Game One
The Owls tripled their season home run total by going deep four times, and in turn turned a 3-1 deficit through three into a comfortable 9-4 win over the Pilgrims to end a seven-game slide.  Blanchette connected twice, including a two-run shot in the fourth that put KSC in front again, while Coates – hitting .364 over her first 14 career games – blew the game open with the first long ball of her career, a three-run blast that made it 9-4 in the seventh.  She also doubled and, for good measure, stole home to tie the game at three in the fourth.  Moran homered in a 2-for-3 effort that made her six for her last nine at the plate as the Owls finished with 13 hits in the game, their first double-digit output in that category since a 9-1 win over Lycoming College on March 18.  Keene State's seven extra base hits (three doubles in addition to the four HR) were easily a season-high.  Five Owls had multi-hit efforts, including Moran (2-3, HR, RBI, BB, 2 R), Coates (2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R), Molly Murray (2-2), Blanchette (2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R), and Liv Whittier (2-4, 2 2B).

Keene State struck first in the opening inning when Sara Cote plated Faith Barbieri with a single to left, but New England College tied the game in their half of the inning and then went ahead 3-1 in the third on Lindsey Bayes' RBI double and Destiny Helmedach's ground out.  Moran's solo shot in the fourth emphatically snapped a string of eight in a row retired by Olivia Olson and wound up sparking a four-run frame that also included Coates' steal and Blanchette's two-run home run that made it 5-3.  The Pilgrims got one of the runs back three batters into their half of the inning and had a chance to tie the game with a runner at third and one out in the fifth, but Carissa Miller fanned Helmedach and got Daelyn Ross to line to center to keep KSC in front 5-4 after five.

The late innings belonged to the Owls, as they continued to power up, getting a second homer from Blanchette to left center to start the sixth to make it 6-4 before Coates' back-breaking homer to left in the seventh made it 9-4 and more or less sealed KSC's win.

Miller (5-3) got the win in the circle for the Owls, allowing no runs and three hits over the final 3.2 innings.  She walked one and struck out five, lowering her rookie season ERA to 1.99.  Blanchette got the start, allowing four earned runs and five hits in 3.1 innings of work.

Olson allowed four runs in three-plus frames for the Pilgrims.  Emily Farone (3-3) took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits in four innings.  The eight earned runs allowed were the most by NEC in a game this season.  Emily Gagne went 3-for-3, walked, and stole a base to reach base every time up while Bayes was 2-for-3 with an RBI double, but the Pilgrims lost in their first home game against Keene State since 2006.

How It Happened – Game Two
If game one was all about KSC's offense and the long ball, the second contest was all about the arm of Lilah Demmy, who mowed down the Pilgrims with ease, striking out a rookie-season best 10 while allowing just two hits in a complete game effort.  Offensively, the Owls scratched across a pair of runs in the first and seventh on RBI ground outs, and that wound up being enough.  KSC's tally in the first inning was set up by Murray's one-out triple to center.  She then scored on Coates' bouncer to third.  After that, the Owls' serious chances were sparse.  Cote doubled to start the fourth off Farone and moved to third on a dropped third strike, but was called out for interfering on foul pop up at third base.  Demmy singled and was in scoring position with one out in the fifth, but again Farone escaped trouble to keep it a 1-0 game.  KSC tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Blanchette reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on Demmy's ground out, and scored on a throwing error by NEC first baseman Taylor Maher.

In the end, the story of the game was Demmy's performance in the circle as she allowed just two singles and retired New England College in order in five of the seven innings.  She began her outing by sending down the first 11 batters – six by strikeout – until Helmedach's single with two outs in the fourth.  Farone had one of her own in the next inning, but Demmy then finished as strong as she started, retiring the final seven Pilgrims in a row, three on "K's."  She improved to 5-3 with her most effective outing of the season so far and also finished 2-for-3 at the plate.

Cote doubled and walked to reach base twice in addition to Murray's triple.  Those two have combined for five three-base hits on the season.

Naomi Medrano (3-3) pitched the first three innings for NEC, allowing one run and two hits with one walk and one strikeout.  After the Owls hit around Farone in the opener, she allowed just one unearned run and four hits with three whiffs over the final four innings of the nightcap to keep her team in the game, but the Pilgrims' offense was totally shut down by Demmy.

Around the Horn

• Miller and Demmy, both first year pitchers, have combined for all 10 of the Owls' wins in the circle and a 2.09 ERA.
• The Owls' game two win was their first when scoring less than four runs this season (1-7).  They are 10-1 when reaching or exceeding that number.
• Coates is currently third in the conference in runs batted in (18), only behind Eastern Connecticut State University's Julia SanGiovanni (24) and Brooke Matyasovsky (19).  Cote is tied for first with three triples, sixth in hits, and eighth in RBI.
• KSC has won 12 of 14 meetings in the all-time series.

Up Next

• Keene State is slated for their home (and conference debut) this Tuesday, April 5 when they welcome Plymouth State University (6-11, 0-2 LEC) for a doubleheader that begins at 3:00 p.m.   The Panthers have lost seven of their last eight games.
• New England College is in action for the fourth consecutive day tomorrow (Monday, April 4) when they visit Salem State University (1-13) for a 4:00 p.m. twinbill.