CASTLETON, Vt. – Lilah Demmy pitched 6.1 solid innings, allowing just two runs while striking out eight, but it was not enough as the Keene State College softball team dropped a 2-1 decision in the opener of a Little East Conference doubleheader at Castleton University on Saturday afternoon.  KSC surrendered five in the first in the nightcap (and six more in the third) to tumble to an 11-2, five-inning loss in the nightcap, as the Spartans, who entered having scored one run in their last four games, completed a sweep.

Records

• Keene State:  5-15, 1-3 LEC
• Castleton:  6-8, 3-1 LEC

How It Happened – Game One
Demmy kept the Owls right there the entire game, but KSC managed just one run and could not overcome going 0-for-9 in RBI opportunities and 2-for-11 overall with runners on base as they dropped a tight affair in the opener, playing a third consecutive game decided by one-run.  Keene State had chances early as Molly Murray singled into left to start the game and moved up to second on Sara Cote's sacrifice bunt, but a line out and a fly out left her there.  In the second, Grace Hallett was hit with a pitch to start the inning and Demmy singled to left to put two on with nobody out.  Amanda Cerretani's ground out to the right side moved both into scoring position as the Owls looked to quickly get back the run they allowed in the bottom of the first, but an infield pop up and grounder to second again left them empty.  Castleton had nothing going offensively for a while after their first inning run on Miranda Fish's infield single as Demmy faced the minimum for the next four consecutive innings, and after KSC left Grace Hallett at second after her one-out double in the fourth, they finally broke through in the fifth with two outs to tie the game.  Murray gave the Owls a baserunner with a bunt single and then scored on Cote's double to the right-center gap.  A miscue on Liv Whittier's ball to short extended the inning, but Mia Ferry popped out to second to leave it tied at one.

That would actually be KSC's final baserunners of the game against Olivia Joy, who retired the final seven in order after the error.  The Owls got out of self-inflicted trouble in the sixth when they made two errors, but could not in the seventh.  Demmy whiffed Alexis Rogers to begin the inning, but Samera Rideout doubled to put the winning run in scoring position.  Alexis Brouilette then worked a full count walk, which was not entirely harmful to set up a force at any base.  It did not matter, however, as Jess Heinrich's RBI single to left center scored pinch-runner Dana Elkins to win the game and hand KSC a tough loss.

Demmy fell to 2-4, allowing two runs and five hits in 6.1 innings.  She walked two and struck out eight.

The Owls did not have many answers for Joy (2-4), who allowed just one run and five hits in the complete game.  She did not walk a better and whiffed five.
Murray (2-4, R) and Cote (1-2, 2B, RBI) combined for three hits, but Keene State had only two others.

"Getting production from more than the top half of our lineup is key," said Keene State head coach Carrah Fisk Hennessey.  "Game 1 was tight.  We need to string things together offensively."

Castleton was also limited to five hits.  Rideout finished 2-for-3, while Hannah Mosher tripled.

How It Happened – Game Two
The wheels fell off quickly for the Owls in the second contest, as after sending four batters to the plate in the first, they allowed five runs (three unearned) in the bottom half to immediately face a sizable deficit.  The inning began with a weak popup to short, but three singles and a walk thereafter helped give Castleton a 2-0 lead.  Fish grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out, but then stole second ahead of a free pass to Brouilette (KSC walked three in the inning).  Heinrich's then grounded back to pitcher Carissa Miller to appear to end the inning, but the throw got away, allowing another run to score to make it 3-0.  A hit batter and a walk came next to bring in two more before the inning finally came to an end.

Keene State got two of the runs back in the third as Murray and Cote took one out walks, the second of which coming on four pitches.  After a strikeout, Ferry pulled a double into the left center gap to plate both and chip the deficit to 5-2.

In need of a shutdown inning, the Owls got anything but, allowing a six-spot – all with two outs – in the bottom half of the inning to trail by nine runs.  Fish struck out to begin the inning, but the slide began with a pair of free passes.  Kayla Fac sacrificed both into scoring position with a bunt, but was also the second out with it still a 5-2 game.  However, a damaging two-run single for Kate LaPan nullified both runs the Owls had just scored, and wound up being the first of six consecutive hits.  Allison Almond added a two-run double to make it 9-2, and Castleton scored twice more from there.

KSC managed only one single from there over the final two innings as they suffered a run-rule defeat against the Spartans, whose only previous win in that fashion this season came in a 23-6 final against Franciscan University in South Carolina on March 17.

"We gave up too many free bases and did not balance it out with our own bats," said Fisk Hennessey. "Not the results we wanted or worked for today.  We have to have a short-term memory and a big picture focus, and need to battle back on Tuesday against (Plymouth State University)."

Miller (1-8), who had pitched 11 innings of relief in the marathon doubleheader against the University of Massachusetts-Boston on Thursday and allowed only two earned runs, took the loss after allowing 10 runs (seven earned) and six hits in 2.2 innings.  She walked five and struck out two.

Rogers improved to 2-1, allowing two runs and three hits in five innings with two walks and three strikeouts.

Ferry finished 1-for-2 with a double and drove in KSC's only two runs.  The Owls mustered only two other singles.

Three Spartans had multi-hit games, with Rideout finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs.  LaPan drove in three.

Around the Horn

• Demmy's ERA stands at 3.00 on the season and she has 43 strikeouts in 46.2 innings.
• Murray had a six-game hitting streak snapped in the second game, but is hitting a team-best .364.
• The Owls have lost six straight in the series and are 1-7 against Castleton since sweeping them by a combined 15-6 score in 2019 in Keene.

Up Next

• Keene State travels to take on Plymouth State (10-8, 1-1 LEC) for two LEC games on Tuesday, April 11 at 3:30 p.m.  It will be the Panthers' home-opening doubleheader.
• Castleton hosts State University of New York at Cobleskill (3-14, 0-3 NAC) on the same day (3:00 p.m.)