FITCHBURG, Mass. – The Keene State College softball team built a 7-0 lead in the first game of a doubleheader and then used a seven-run third inning in the second contest to roll to a pair of non-conference victories on Thursday afternoon, beating Fitchburg State University 8-1 and 10-5 at Donna-Lee Withington Field.
The Owls (11-5) banged out 21 hits in the doubleheader and upped their team batting average to .344 while improving to 7-1 in their last eight games heading into tomorrow's scheduled Little East Conference doubleheader against Western Connecticut State University.
The first game this afternoon was no contest, as
Lilah Demmy pitched three hitless innings with five strikeouts in the circle before being taken out with KSC already in front 3-0 through three thanks to two bases loaded walks in the second and a
Liv Whittier RBI double in the third. The Owls broke the game wide open with a four-run fourth that began with two more of Fitchburg starter Madison Solt's (2-9) eight walks. A double steal followed, and Whittier made it 4-0 with a single poked into right field.
Carissa Miller added a sacrifice fly while
Abbie Monkevicz and
Morgan Rodrigues each had run-scoring base hits before the inning was over as KSC built a 7-0 advantage.
Fitchburg State (4-21) did not record their first hit of the game – and was limited to just two singles – until the bottom of the sixth when Ariana Baez grounded a ball up the middle. They would spoil the shutout in that inning, with an error and a base hit making it 7-1. That was otherwise
Megan Strzegowski's (4-0) lone hiccup as she earned the win with four innings of one-run relief, allowing two hits while striking out one. She also induced five ground ball outs.
Solt allowed 11 hits and eight runs in a complete game effort, striking out three. KSC hit into a whopping 15 outs in the air, grounding out just three times.
Whittier (2-3, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB, K) and Monkevicz (2-4, RBI, 2 R) each had multi-hit efforts for the Owls, while
Emma Chenette,
Abby Weiterman, and
Lilah Demmy all doubled. KSC also stole four bases and is now 26-for-31 (84 percent) swiping bags after a 31-for-41 mark (76 percent) a season ago.
After being rendered nearly completely silent in the opener, the Falcons actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second contest on a two-run double by Isabella Sousa. However, the lead evaporated in a hurry when KSC put up seven runs in the third inning to flip a two-run deficit into a 7-2 lead. The Owls recorded three straight hits to open the frame, including an RBI knock up the middle by Weiterman, and then used their patience to turn it into a big inning. Whittier tied the game with a ground ball to third, but Mackenzie Leveille then walked the next two to load the bases with one out.
Kalee Keyser came through with a line drive single to center to plate two for KSC's first lead (4-2). A wild pitch and two walks later (one of which to
Elyse Picard forced in a run) set the stage for a two-run single by
Molly Murray with two outs that made it 7-2.
Leading by four entering the fifth, the Owls put up a three-spot thanks to an RBI triple to the left center gap by Murray that made it 9-3 and a double to left by Weiterman that put KSC in double-digits.
The run support was more than enough for three Owl arms, including two first years, to ensure a victory with starter
Olivia Souers (4-0) getting the decision, allowing eight hits and three runs in four innings. She walked one and struck out one.
Leveille (1-7) allowed eight hits and 10 runs in 4.1 innings to take the loss. She walked eight – with Fitchburg's staff combined to walk 17 in the doubleheader – and whiffed two while also throwing four wild pitches. She did induce nine ground ball outs, particularly in the first and second innings when KSC did not score.
"Today was a full team effort," said Owls head coach Haley Chandler. "We stayed up for each other and everyone got a chance – it was a good day. Not to mention it was just nice to be back outside."
KSC had not played since their makeshift home-opening doubleheader against Rivier University last Tuesday (April 1), having twinbills against WestConn (originally April 5) and Lasell University (this Tuesday, April 8) postponed.
The Owls have won 24 of 25 all-time meetings against the Falcons, with the lone loss coming in Florida in 2018.
Keene State's LEC doubleheader against the Wolves (13-9, 1-1 LEC) Friday is slated for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch. WCSU split a home pair against Plymouth State University in their lone league games on March 27, falling 4-1 before rebounding for a 5-4 win. Fitchburg goes to Bridgewater State University (8-12, 1-3 MASCAC) on Monday, April 14 (originally Saturday) for a MASCAC doubleheader. KSC was also slated to play on Saturday at home against Eastern Connecticut State University, but those two games were postponed to a to-be-determined make-up date earlier today.
Keene State will be the last Little East team to play their first conference game of the season – and will play all 16 league games between tomorrow and May 3.
