SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Keene State College softball team surrendered runs in six of eight defensive innings and 21 in total as they were swept by Western New England University 10-1 and 11-2 in two five-inning games on Thursday at Golden Bear Park.
Since moving a season-high seven games over .500 at 12-5 following a 9-2 win over Western Connecticut State University last Friday, it has been a rough week for KSC (12-12), who has lost seven straight including being outscored 35-5 in a pair of doubleheaders the last two days. Western New England (14-9-1), who had scored double-digit runs just twice all season – once in the first game of the campaign in early March against Lebanon Valley College and the other against now 2-14 Mount St. Mary College – improved to 7-1 at home.
In the twinbill, KSC surrendered four or more runs in an inning three times in eight Golden Bear trips to the plate. In the opener, Western New England led 2-0 through two before scoring eight times, all with two outs, in the third to blow the game wide open. They had eight hits in the frame including three RBI singles in a four-batter span that made it 5-0, but wound up scoring five unearned runs after a ground ball to shortstop should have ended the inning.
Megan Strzegowski (4-1) started and took the loss for KSC in the circle, allowing eight hits and eight runs (four earned) in 2.2 innings with one walk. Evelyn Picone allowed two hits and struck out three in three scoreless innings for WNE.
The Golden Bears outhit KSC in the opener 10-5. The Owls left six on base, including a pair in the top of the third when Strzegowski singled to center and
Elyse Picard followed with a base hit into left to put two on in what was a 2-0 game, but
Molly Murray skied to left to end the inning. Western New England then similarly had two on with two outs, but then saw the next four batter record singles prior to the costly error.
The second contest seemed more promising right away as the Owls jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first, but their pitching continued to struggle, allowing WNE to score in every offensive inning. KSC's lead developed thanks to Picard pulling a single into left to lead off the game before
Kalle Halvorsen worked a one-out walk. Picard was thrown out stealing third later, but Halvorsen still moved into scoring position on the play, and Riley Kane airmailed a throw on a chopper back to her by
Liv Whittier, plating the game's first run and moving Whittier to second. She then scored on Murray's infield single to shortstop for a 2-0 lead.
The momentum evaporated fast, as
Shay Webb walked Marley Rodriguez to start her outing and Angelees Carrasquillo beat out a bunt single to first base. Gracie Hemstock sacrificed both into scoring position, and that paid off when Kane's base hit to right tied the game at two. KSC's lead lasted four batters, and they then found themselves behind when the next two batters, Kim Baumann (triple) and Picone (infield single) each drove in a run to make it 4-2.
A sacrifice fly by WNE in the second tacked on another to the lead, and a four-run third ballooned the gap to 9-2. It was again an error that badly exacerbated the inning, as Shea McDaniel's grounder to third in a 6-2 game that should have been the second out instead plated two runs when the throw went bad, and McDaniel then scored herself on a two-out single by Carrasquillo.
Both of the Owls' hits came in the first inning. After that, they managed only a one-out walk in the second and a leadoff walk in the fifth against Kane (7-6), both by
Hayley Townsend.
Keene State did not have an extra-base hit on the day, nor a strikeout from the circle.
"Today was hard, but a takeaway is that other people got chances who have been waiting patiently," said KSC head coach Haley Chandler. "It wasn't the results we wanted. We will need to play sharper and more dialed in if we want to compete with top teams."
The Owls have lost eight straight in the series, though five of the previous six were decided by three runs or less including three by one run. In fact, nine of the 13 all-time meetings had been decided by exactly one run entering the day, including a season ago when WNE made the NCAA tournament and KSC finished 9-31.
Keene State returns to conference play on Saturday when they visit Vermont State University Castleton (15-9, 4-4 LEC) at 1:00 p.m. The Spartans got swept at Eastern Connecticut State University, swept the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on the road, and have since split a home doubleheader against the University of Southern Maine (W 2-0, L 5-0) and at the University of Massachusetts-Boston (W 4-2, L 10-2). KSC split with Castleton a season ago, and will need to do at least that to maintain touch with at least sixth place and a playoff berth.
