WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Keene State College softball team led twice in the early going of the opener and 6-0 in the third inning of the nightcap, but Westfield State University continuously answered throughout the day and went on to a non-conference sweep of KSC Monday afternoon, winning 7-4 and 8-7 to prolong the visiting Owls' skid to six games.

Records

• Keene State:  4-12
• Westfield State:  11-4-1

How It Happened
KSC had plenty of offense on the afternoon, piling up 19 hits including six by the hot-hitting Kalle Halvorsen (now 17-for-33 on the season), but a combined nine errors helped lead to seven unearned runs allowed and that proved to be the difference as Westfield won for the fifth time in the last six tries in the series after losing 35 of the first 41 meetings.

Keene State took early leads in both contests, including in the first game when Grace Wallace smacked a two-run double to left four batters in to plate Halvorsen and Liv Whittier.  However, in what would be a prelude of how the day went, WSU got both runs back in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly and wild pitch.  They answered Halvorsen's RBI double in the top of the second that had given KSC a 3-2 lead with three in the bottom part of that same frame to jump in front, and a pair of Westfield relievers (Gianna Conte and Stephanie Scoville) allowed five hits and no runs over the final four innings to settle the game down for the home Owls, who were playing on their own field for the first time this season.

Down 5-3 in the third, KSC got one run closer when Abbie Monkevicz doubled with one out and later scored on Molly Murray's RBI single.  They then had a huge opportunity in the fifth to tie the game with the bases loaded and one out, but Allison Adams struck out and Lily Mandel skied to left to end the inning.  Westfield then scored twice in their trip to the plate in that inning, turning a leadoff double by Mia Alfonso into a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly by Sarah Bingham and a triple by Christina Ciampa to go up 7-4.

KSC still had chances in the last two innings as well, but left two on base in the sixth after Elyse Picard singled and Whittier walked with one out.  In the seventh, Carissa Miller singled to right and Mandel walked with two down to bring the tying run to the plate, but Halvorsen's line drive to center was run down by Jordyn Lummus.

Lilah Demmy (2-6) got the start and took the loss, allowing nine hits and seven runs (four earned) with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Westfield, who used three pitchers, saw Conte (5-1) get the win after two shaky but scoreless innings in which she allowed three hits and struck out one.  Scoville got her third save, allowing two hits and walking two while whiffing to over the sixth and seventh.  Katherine Canty got the start for the home Owls and lasted three innings, allowing six hits and four runs (three earned).

KSC outhit Westfield 11-9, but left 12 runners on base in the loss, double the number of their counterparts.

Keene State seemed well in control of the second game as they looked to salvage a split and end a five-game losing streak, opening a 5-0 lead in the second thanks to a four-run inning and eventually a 6-0 gap in the third.  However, Westfield scored seven of the final eight runs to hand KSC a bitter loss.  The visiting Owls did not have an extra-base hit and committed six errors, including five over a three-inning span in which Westfield turned their six-run deficit into a 7-7 tie.

Much like the opener, Keene State's offense faded late, as after taking a 7-3 lead in the fourth, they saw the final nine sent down in order after a leadoff walk to begin the fifth.  Canty struggled in the opener, but this time around she and Scoville combined to throw five innings out of the bullpen and allowed just two unearned runs.  Scoville induced five ground ball outs as KSC could not mount a threat, going down 1-2-3 on a pair of infield bouncers before Westfield ended the game on a walk-off in their half of the inning, seeing three of four batters gets hits including a leadoff single by Bingham and a gap double to left center by Hannah Wodecki that won it.

Early on, it did not seem the hosts would have much of a chance, as Whittier got the Owls off and running in the first with an RBI single that scored Halvorsen.  Four hits including a two-run single by Picard in the second helped widen the gap to 5-0, and Miller then struck out a pair in the bottom half to keep it that score before KSC tacked on another in the third.  However, trouble came after that, all beginning with an error to allow the leadoff runner to reach and a walk three batters later.  Alfonso then plated two with a single to left, the first of three straight hits that helped make it 6-3.  Base hits by Halvorsen and Wallace in the fourth helped KSC get one of the runs back, but three straight singles to start the bottom half set the table to Westfield to respond with three, only one of which was plated via a hit (an RBI double by Alfonso that made it 7-5).
"Two very winnable games today," said Keene State head coach Carrah Fisk Hennessey.  "The final result always comes down to inches.  Consistent execution of the tiny details matters a lot.  We didn't take care of those defensive details, those defensive inches…and our offense was not consistent from the first through the seventh.  Glad we came out of the gate hot in both games, but plenty of work to do."

Demmy (2-7) took a tough loss, allowing two runs (one earned) over the final three innings while striking out four.  Miller allowed one earned run (three total) over her start (3 IP, 3 K).

Scoville pitched two clean innings and improved to 5-2.

Around the Horn

• Wallace and Picard, both rookies, are hitting .333 and .300, respectively.
• Halvorsen is seven for her last 11 with four runs and is 17-for-33 (.515 on the season).

Up Next

• Keene State visits Western Connecticut State University (7-11, 0-2 LEC) for a Little East Conference doubleheader on Saturday (April 6) starting at 1:00 p.m.
• Westfield goes to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (9-3, 0-2 MASCAC) tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. for two.