KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College softball team broke a 3-3 tie by scoring four times in the sixth inning in an eventual 7-3 victory in the opener of a Little East Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Owl Athletic Complex.  Despite making seven errors on the day, including five in the second game, Western Connecticut State University wound up splitting with a 7-3 victory in the nightcap.

Records

• Keene State:  7-17, 3-5 LEC
• Western Connecticut:  17-15, 2-6 LEC

How It Happened – Game One
Demmy tossed a complete game on 99 pitches and KSC scored all seven of their runs between the fourth and sixth innings to post their third conference victory of the season.  WestConn took the lead in the top of the first inning and then battled back from a 3-3 tie in the sixth, answering KSC's two run fifth, but ultimately could not overcome their defensive shortcomings and walking six batters as the Owls pulled away in their half of the sixth.

Amanda Cerretani sparked Keene State's tying run that made it 1-1 in the fourth, leading off with a double to the right center gap.  Grace Hallett then moved her up with a sacrifice bunt, and Hayley Townsend continued the small ball with another sacrifice bunt.  Demmy fired a 1-2-3 fifth with a pair of strikeouts, and the Owls jumped in front against reliever Hailey Golembiewski in their trip to the plate as Kalle Halvorsen pulled a double down the left field line to set up KSC with another runner in scoring position.  It was unconventional, but she scored on Molly Murray's fielder's choice grounder and subsequent error in which Benni Tucci's throw sailed past the catcher after it looked like she might be tagged out between second and third.  Murray also ended up scoring on the strange play to give the Owls a 3-1 lead.

That particular advantage did not last long, as WestConn tied the game at three in the very next half inning thanks to two-out doubles Alexis Resto and Sydney Chenoweth that also scored Tucci, who walked with one out.  Demmy got out of further trouble when Carly Cordova grounded back to her to end the inning.

KSC retook the lead quickly in the bottom of the sixth as Hallett was hit with a pitch and Townsend walked to start the inning.  Demmy sacrificed both into scoring position and, after a bunt single for Halvorsen loaded the bases, Murray reached on another unusual play when new left fielder Isabella Pincince dropped a shallow fly ball.  She recovered enough to get a force out at third, but not enough to prevent the go-ahead run from crossing the plate.  Leading 4-3, KSC tacked on important insurance tallies after thanks to a Cote walk reloading the bases and singles from Liv Whittier and Mia Ferry, the latter of which plated two for a four-run lead.

Demmy (4-4) sent the Wolves down in order in the seventh to wrap up a complete game win, allowing three runs and four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Olivia Bordenaro (5-4) took the loss for WestConn, allowing four runs and five hits across 4.2 innings.  She walked four and whiffed three.

Chenoweth was 2-for-3 with two doubles to pace the Wolves, who had two hits otherwise.

Halvorsen was 2-for-3 with a double to pace KSC, who also got a single and three walks from Cote and an RBI single and walk from Whittier.

How It Happened – Game Two
Eyeing an important sweep at home of the team that entered the day in last place in the conference, the Owls fell into a 5-0 deficit in the top of the fourth and got very little going against Chenoweth in the circle, who allowed only five hits.  Her pitching helped the Wolves survive making five errors, including two in the fifth and two in the seventh, innings in which KSC was only able to muster one run.

Chenoweth and Carissa Miller traded zeroes for the first two innings, with Miller striking out five including the side in order in the second, but WCSU broke the scoring ice with a pair of two out runs in the third that were aided in a big way by KSC.  After two flyouts began the frame, Tucci bunted her way on before Pincince and Resto were both hit by a pitch.  Then, Cote's throw to first on Chenoweth's grounder to short was errant, allowing two runs to score.

Outside of Halvorsen's infield single in the third, KSC was unable to mount much of a response in the third, going down in order otherwise.  WestConn tacked on three more runs on four hits in the fourth against Ferry, who entered in the circle to start the inning.  All of the runs again scored with two outs.  Brianna Malvino singled with one out, but a fly out and a ground out sandwiched that base hit.  The third out was elusive, as Tucci singled to left and then stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position.  Both scored on Pincince's single to right for a 4-0 lead, and Resto added on a fifth run with a line drive to center.

Pitching with a 5-0 lead was more than enough for Chenoweth, who was never seriously threatened.  KSC had two on in the fifth without getting the ball out of the infield and scored when Cote's grounder to short was mishandled by Ushka, plating Halvorsen, but Whittier's fly ball to center ended the inning.  In the sixth, Ferry singled to lead off, but was doubled off when Cerretani lined back to Chenoweth.  Hallett then doubled, but it stayed 5-1 when Townsend flied out.

The Wolves took a 6-1 lead in the seventh when Tucci singled to short to begin the inning and scored on Resto's double.  Two more errors in the seventh helped KSC threaten, and they did get that run back, but needed several more and instead had to settle for a split, the ninth consecutive split against Western Connecticut in the series.

Around the Horn

• Demmy is 4-4 with a 2.64 ERA this season, striking out 54 in 63.2 innings.
• The Owls are hitting .230 as a team in eight conference games.  Cote is 9-for-23 (.391), Murray 9-for-31 (.290), and Cerretani 8-for-28 (.286) in such contests.  Demmy has a 2.08 ERA.
• KSC has been outscored 38-14 in the first inning and 38-20 in the third inning this season.
• Keene State leads the all-time series 38-33-1.
• KSC is one game out of the sixth and final LEC tournament spot, two games back in the loss column.

Up Next

• The Owls host Eastern Connecticut State University (14-8, 6-0 LEC) for a conference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m.  The Warriors have won six games in a row, three by one run.  KSC led the series 26-25, but has lost 14 straight since.
• WestConn has home games against Rhode Island College (10-12, 3-3 LEC) on the same day (4:00 p.m.).