NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The Keene State College softball team took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning in the opener of a Little East Conference doubleheader, but scored just one run on four hits over the remainder of the day as they fell 3-2 in walk-off fashion and 7-1 to the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on Tuesday at the UMD Softball Complex.
With one win, and especially two, the Owls (16-18, 5-9 LEC) had a chance to move into prime position for an LEC playoff berth. Now, they will need two wins on Saturday at Plymouth State University and help from around the conference to qualify. UMass-Dartmouth (19-14, 6-8 LEC), meanwhile, now sits in a tie for sixth place, with both the Corsairs and Vermont State University Castleton a game ahead of KSC.
Keene State had a hard time containing the top of UMD's order, especially in the opener, when leadoff hitter Kinu Takasugi and No. 3 hitter RaeLynn Perregaux combined for five of their team's eight hits. Perregaux drove in all three of the Corsairs' runs, including a game-tying double in the fifth and a walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh after Takasugi had led off with a single that bounded into left. Jillian Walsh then sacrificed Takasugi into scoring position as the Corsairs used single runs in the third, fifth, and seventh to rally for a critical conference win. UMass-Dartmouth entered the day at 4-8 in the conference, a game behind the Owls, and their only way ahead of KSC in the standings was to win both.
After taking the opener in walk-off fashion, the hosts carried the momentum over to the nightcap, scoring three times in the first on a three-run shot by Lily Routhier and tacked on another in the second to build a 4-0 lead. The Owls finally got on the board again in the fifth to trim their deficit to three as
Liv Whittier singled to left to begin the frame before eventually scoring on an error. Her base hit, however, was the lone Owl hit against Edy Crawford (10-9), who pitched a one-hitter and allowed one unearned run with no walks and two strikeouts. In fact, she pitched every inning of the doubleheader, allowing just three hits and two runs in a complete game in the opener with one walk and three whiffs.
Lilah Demmy (3-8) took a tough-luck loss in the first game, allowing four hits and one run over 2.1 relief innings. She walked one and struck out three.
Carissa Miller got the start, allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits over four innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
Olivia Souers (5-1) got the start in the nightcap and took a loss, allowing three hits and four runs in two innings. She walked two and struck out one.
Perregaux added a two-hit game to close her day and had five hits – three doubles. Liv Matos and Larissa Piessens each had two-hit games out of the No. 7 and No. 8 spots in UMD's order.
KSC's lone lead of the day – 2-0 in the third of the opener – came without the benefit of a hit as Miller walked and
Kalee Keyser reached on a fielder's choice when the Corsairs could not throw Miller out at second.
Morgan Rodrigues then sacrificed both into scoring position with a bunt before a sacrifice fly and an error brought home the pair of runs. The Owls returned the favor, allowing Takasugi to reach on a miscue to begin the bottom half. Walsh then sacrificed her to third before Perregaux's base hit into right made it 2-1. Miller stranded a pair to keep KSC ahead for the moment, but the Owl offense was mostly dormant, being limited to just three hits in the opener. In a tie game (2-2) in the top of the sixth, Whittier and
Molly Murray notched two-out singles to help develop a threat, but Crawford struck out
Lily Mandel looking to end the inning. Demmy had a pair of whiffs in the bottom half after Routhier led off with a walk and was bunted to second, sending the game to the seventh tied, but KSC went down 1-2-3 on a liner to second, pop up to first, and grounder to first.
"Our defense is what keeps us competitive in games and today showed how true that is," said Owls head coach Haley Chandler. "We struggled to make the plays we are 'supposed to make' and as a result, we dropped two. Our pitchers threw very well again, but our offense and defense did not reciprocate. Saturday now carries a lot of pressure for us, so we have to regroup, use Thursday to try to do things differently, and get after it on Saturday."
Keene State visits Middlebury College (22-12, 9-7 NESCAC) for a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday (May 1) at 3:30 p.m.
