KEENE, N.H. –
Liv Whittier poked an RBI single into right field in the sixth inning to add an insurance run in support of a strong pitching effort by sophomore
Megan Strzegowski and first year
Olivia Souers as the Keene State College softball team rebounded from a run-rule loss to post a key 2-1 victory over the University of Massachusetts-Boston in Little East Conference action Tuesday at the Owl Athletic Complex. The Beacons ran away with a 9-0, five inning win in the opener to run their program-best winning streak against KSC to four, but it wound up not lasting the day.
The win moves the Owls (15-13, 4-6 LEC) up one spot in the LEC standings and into a current playoff position with six league games to go, holding a key tiebreaker over Vermont State University Castleton (also 4-6 in the conference) thanks to Saturday's road sweep. A rejuvenated KSC has won three of four since a seven-game losing streak that ended with consecutive rough days last week.
KSC's second game victory was keyed by an impressive effort from the circle by Strzegowski (5-1) and Souers, who limited the Beacons (26-5-1, 7-4-1 LEC) to just five hits and blanked them over the first six innings.
The Owls broke the scoring ice in the bottom of the fourth inning when
Abby Weiterman doubled to the right center gap and scored two batters later Avery Weinstein threw away a grounder by
Abbie Monkevicz that would have ended the inning.
UMass-Boston did not get their first runner in scoring position until the fifth inning, when Amaya Rodriguez and Weinstein produced back-to-back singles with two outs, but Souers came in and got Sofie Richland to ground out to third on a full count pitch.
A productive sixth helped KSC double their lead with a key insurance run.
Elyse Picard began the frame with a gap double to right center. Weiterman then executed a perfect bunt for a single to put runners on the corners. The Owls thought they had a 2-0 lead when Halvorsen laid down a perfect squeeze home Picard, but she was called out. The 2-0 lead did come to pass, though, as then next batter Whittier stroked an RBI single to score Weiterman.
The Beacons got one back in the seventh and spoiled the shutout when Mary Matthews tripled to lead off and Ella Delisle followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-1. Souers locked it down from there, getting Rodriguez to sky to center and whiffing Weinstein on a 1-2 pitch for her first career save.
Strzegowski (5-1) picked up the win by tossing 4.2 innings, allowing no runs and three hits. Souers struck out two in 2.1 frames.
Keene State handed UMB starter Jacqueline Cherry (11-2) just her second loss, allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits over six innings. She walked one and struck out seven.
It was a huge bounce back for the Owls, who lost the opener 9-0 in five innings. UMass-Boston broke the game open early with a five-run second and outhit KSC 12-1. In that big inning,
Carissa Miller was in immediate trouble after hitting the first two batters. Weinstein sacrificed both into scoring position, and Richland followed with a two-run single. Haley Tilberry followed with an RBI triple and Bri Melchionda a run-scoring double to plate two more to make it 4-0. The Beacons would ultimately score in their final four offensive innings after stranding three in the first.
The Owls did not have many answers against Alexis Fleischer (5-0), who pitched five one-hit innings and did not allow a run despite not striking anybody out.
Miller (2-5) took the loss, allowing four hits and five runs in 1.1 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
KSC has three conference doubleheaders remaining, including a Senior Day twinbill against Rhode Island College this Saturday (April 26) beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Owls also travel to the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Plymouth State University next week to close LEC play looking to lock up a tournament berth.
