RINDGE, N.H. – Staring at the possibility of an ugly sweep, the Keene State College softball team scored 13 runs over the final three offensive innings, including seven in the decisive bottom of the sixth, as the Owls rallied for a 14-10 victory over Rivier University in the second game of their "home" opening doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon at Melissa Bisaccia Field on the campus of Franklin Pierce University.  The Raiders took the opener 8-4 thanks to eight consecutive runs across the fifth and sixth after falling behind 2-0 early.

Highlights...coming soon
Postgame Interview (Coach Chandler)
Postgame Interview (Lily Mandel)

The Owls (9-5) did see their four-game winning streak end with the loss in the first game, but have won five of six overall and nine of 13 since an opening loss.  They matched their win total from a season ago ahead of their first Little East Conference contests this coming Saturday against Western Connecticut State University.

After Rivier (6-10) plated five runs in the top of the fourth to open an 8-1 lead, it seemed KSC would not be headed for any wins on the day, as at that point the visiting Raiders had scored 16 of the previous 19 runs in the doubleheader.  That changed in a hurry, however, as the Owls piled up 12 of their 14 overall hits in their final three trips to the plate – none bigger than a seven-run sixth inning that flipped a 10-7 deficit into a 14-10 lead.  The uprising was started with an innocuous single by Molly Murray that bounded up the middle, but escalated quickly when Carissa Miller grounded a single that shortstop Kylee Caetano had no plan on.  Lily Mandel followed with a two-run double to left, and just like that it was 10-9 with the Owls not done.  A walk to Kalee Keyser moved the tying run into scoring position, and Morgan Rodrigues cashed in with another KSC base hit up the middle in the inning, marking the first tie since the game was five batters old prior to Rivier's three-run first.  That finally chased Raiders starter Courtney Marioles (2-2), who threw 122 pitches, but Hailey Berube – coming off a complete game effort in the opener – did not fare much better as Picard greeted here with a booming triple over Kayla Miles' head in right field to put KSC ahead (12-10) for the first time.  Halvorsen followed with an RBI single to center to plate Picard, and the Owls plated a seventh run in the frame after Miller worked a bases-loaded walk.  The KSC junior then tossed a 1-2-3 seventh that included a looking strikeout and two weak grounders to second to lock up the win, the Owls' second win in three attempts when trailing after five innings.  Also included in the big inning was, fittingly, senior Liv Whittier's 100th career hit.  It came on a sharp grounder in the hole that Caetano again had to backhand and her throw to second was far too late.  Whittier became the 37th player in program history to reach the milestone, a group that includes KSC's all-time hits leader and current head coach Haley Chandler (214).

Miller fired a 1-2-3 seventh to punctuate the win.  Megan Strzegowski (3-0) pitched the sixth and allowed a pair of runs but picked up the victory.  Marioles allowed 11 hits and 12 runs (nine earned) over 5.1 innings with six walks.

KSC's pitching staff struck out 11 in the opener, but could not overcome walking 10, including three in two different innings.  Lilah Demmy worked out of trouble in the first when doing so, but the Owls eventually paid for it with elevated pitch counts, with Demmy getting chased after allowing the first four batters to reach including a go-ahead two-run double by Avry Nelson that made it 3-2.  Rivier was not done, as Kayla Miles added an RBI two-bagger of her own and Kylee Caetano made it 6-2 with a gap-shot to right center for another two-run double.  A sacrifice fly and bases loaded walk tacked on two more for Rivier in the sixth, and the Owls never seriously threatened again despite scoring a pair in the seventh.

Berube (3-5) allowed 10 hits and four runs (two earned) in a complete game effort.  She walked two and struck out three.  Demmy fell to 2-3, allowing six hits and four runs in four-plus innings.  She issued six free passes and struck out eight.  Demmy and Olivia Souers combined for 173 pitches in seven innings, nearly 25 per inning.

Rivier stranded five in the first two innings, and found themselves down 2-0 after two thanks to an infield single by Demmy and an RBI double by Picard.  It seemed they were headed to a frustrating opener after leaving the bases loaded again in the third before Demmy fired a 1-2-3 fourth, but the six-run fifth changed the game in a big way just as the Owls' late thunder swung the nightcap.

Keene State is scheduled to open Little East Conference play on Saturday when they host Western Connecticut State University (8-8, 1-1 LEC) for a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.