LITTLE RIVER, S.C. – The Keene State College softball team was unable to overcome allowing three four-run innings on Friday in Myrtle Beach, falling to the University of Maine-Farmington 12-4 and Notre Dame College (Md.) 6-2 at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex.

The Owls (0-3) never led in the opener, falling into a 7-0 hole by the top of the fourth as the Beavers (6-1) racked up 15 hits including multi-hit games from five different people in their order.  The top three hitters – Abby Wrinn, Jojo Daigneault, and Maddie Pike – combined to go 6-for-12 with two doubles, a walk, four RBI, and seven runs scored.  Olivia Paradis added a 4-for-4 game with two doubles and two runs batted in out of the No. 7 spot.

Maine-Farmington's first two runs were plated on sacrifice flies, but the visitors saw four of their first six batters to start the top of the fourth get a hit, including a two-run double from Pike that made it 6-0.  KSC got two back in the bottom half to make it 7-2, but the Beavers piled on four more in the sixth including another two-run double, this time from Paradis, that made it 11-2.

Keene State generated an uprising with two down in the bottom of the sixth as Abbie Monkevicz and Molly Murray drove in runs with RBI singles to make it 11-4 and sent Liv Whittier to the plate with the bases full, but a fielder's choice grounder to short stopped the Owls there.  UMF got a run back in the top of the seventh and then Mack Bergen (2-0) finished off a complete game by striking out the side in KSC's half of the inning.  The Beavers' hurler allowed 11 hits and four runs while walking two and striking out seven.

Lily Mandel (0-1) took the loss for KSC, allowing nine hits and seven runs (six earned) in 3.2 innings.  She walked one and struck out two.  In total, the Owls gave up five walks, hit a batter, and made two errors to allow the Beavers extra baserunners.  Six wild pitches also helped runners advance.  UMF issued just two free passes.
KSC finished with 11 hits as a team, but none for extra bases.  Murray finished 3-for-4 with an RBI while Morgan Rodrigues (2-2, BB) and Emma Chenette (2-3, 2 R) each had multi-hit efforts.

The Owls struck first in the nightcap on Allison Adams' two-out RBI single in the first, but scored just one more run after that and a four-run fifth for Notre Dame (3-4) proved to be the difference as KSC dropped their third straight to begin the season. 

The Gators' Jessie Leatherwood (2-1) stranded five baserunners and became the third consecutive opposing pitcher to throw a complete game against KSC, allowing two runs and four hits while walking four and striking out six.  She allowed just one hit and walked one after her team gave her a 6-2 lead in the fifth, an inning that began with a walk and then four consecutive singles including one from herself that put two on with nobody out.  Charlene Torres then gave ND the lead (3-2) before Lilyian Hafner and Bethani Newbold added on three more runs by following with run-scoring base hits.

Keene State bounced back after falling behind 2-1 in the third with a run in their half of the inning as Murray reached on an infield single, stole second, and eventually scored on a single to center by Liv Whittier to make it 2-2.  The Owls had a runner in scoring position in their half of the fourth after Carissa Miller walked and stole second, but Leatherwood got out of the inning with a strikeout.  KSC was just 2-for-10 with runners on base in the game and finished with four hits.

"We need to execute better on both ends of the ball," said Owls head coach Carrah Fisk Hennessey.  "Too many errors and missed offensive opportunities.  Three games in, 37 to go."

Hafner finished 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs in the game, while Leatherwood (2-4, R) and Torres (2-4, RBI, R) also had multiple hits for the Gators, who outhit the Owls 11-4.

Brynna Meeker (0-1) took the loss in her KSC debut in the circle.  Carissa Miller started and pitched the first three innings.

Up Next

• Keene State is back at it Saturday, taking on Thiel College (3-7) and State University of New York-Polytechnic Institute (1-1) at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.
• Maine-Farmington, after losing to the College of Mount St. Vincent 9-4 in their Spring Break finale following their game against KSC, visits Lasell University on Saturday, March 23 at 12:00 p.m.
• Notre Dame (Md.) ended their Myrtle Beach trip with a 10-0 win over Franciscan University in their second game of the day and returns home before visiting McDaniel College on Wednesday, March 20 for two starting at 2:00 p.m.