CLERMONT, Fla. – The Keene State College softball team saw six different players record multi-hit games and had eight different players record at least one RBI as they crushed Franklin & Marshall College 17-5 in six innings on Friday morning at the Hancock Park Ballfields to begin their final day of competition at the Spring Games.  KSC could not make it a 2-0 day, falling to the State University of New York at Plattsburgh 7-3 prior to their venture back north.

Nonetheless, it was a productive learning week for the Owls, who have eight first years and three sophomores among their 19-player roster.  And they scored plenty of runs, too, averaging over eight and half runs per game while hitting .361 as a team – a mark that included 15 doubles, eight triples, and a pair of home runs.  KSC reached base safely at a .451 clip as a team and scored five or more runs six times – including 14 three different times.

Franklin & Marshall (5-6) got a first hand look at it early in the day, as the Owls pummeled the Diplomats' trio of arms, erasing an early 3-0 deficit with ease.  KSC got within a run thanks to a pair in the top of the third, and then plated four more (all with two outs) in the fourth to jump in front on a Kalle Halvorsen two-run double.  Elyse Picard followed with a run-scoring double of her own to make it 5-3 before Abby Weiterman followed with an RBI single of her own that plated another.  F&M answered with one to get back within two, but KSC was just beginning with their onslaught, as Ashley Connor doubled into right to score Abbie Monkevicz in the top of the fifth to make it 7-4 before Anna Gostkowski poked an RBI single down the left field line to plate Connor.  The Owls limited the Diplomats to just one in the bottom half despite a lot of traffic, and then put the game away with a huge nine-run sixth that included six hits.  The inning began with a single by Picard before Weiterman walked and Avery singled up the middle to load the bases.  Monkevicz brought in one with a sacrifice fly to make it 9-5, and Franklin & Marshall's defense committing a pair of errors helped contribute to the next four runs.  Weiterman smoked a two-run single and was followed by RBI base hits from Avery and Monkevicz later in the inning to make it 17-5, KSC's most runs in a game since March 5, 2016 when they beat Baruch College 25-0.

Shay Webb (1-1) started in the circle and got the win, allowing 10 hits and five runs in five innings with five walks and three strikeouts.  Kate Delgrippo (0-1) took the loss for F&M, allowing 11 hits and 15 runs (four earned) over 2.2 relief innings after Ainsley McClure allowed five hits and two runs in three-plus innings.

Eight different Owls recorded a hit and an RBI in the opener, with the top six in the batting order combining for 14 runs batted in.  Gostkowski, Halvorsen, Picard, and Avery all had three-hit games as part of KSC's 18-hit attack.

The Owls could not make it a 2-0 day, as they fell to Plattsburgh (5-6) 7-3 in the nightcap, allowing four runs in the third and three in the sixth.  KSC could not overcome 10 walks from the circle and also left nine on base.  After trailing 4-0, the Owls got a run back quickly in the bottom of the third as Gostkowski walked and Halvorsen doubled before Picard's sacrifice fly.  KSC loaded the bases after Weiterman walked and Avery was hit by a pitch, but Monkevicz's well-hit line drive was caught in right and turned into a double play when Weiterman strayed too far toward third base.  Keene State also had runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the fifth, but another unconventional double play foiled that chance as Avery fouled out to right, which had advanced Weiterman to second on the throw back in but Picard was eventually caught too far off third.

The Cardinals put a big dent in the Owls' hopes in the sixth, as Allison Isaacs singled into right to make it 5-1 before Sarah Isaacs' hard hit ball got past Avery at shortstop to plate two more with two outs.  Avery cracked a two-out gap shot to right center for a two-run double with KSC down to their final out in the seventh to make it 7-3, but the Owls could get no closer.

Keene State actually outhit Plattsburgh 6-5 and held the Cardinals without an extra-base hit, but allowed 11 free baserunners and threw three wild pitches.  Jaelyn Boretti (1-1) took the loss in the circle, allowing three hits and four runs with four walks and one strikeout over two innings.

Morgan Ormerod improved to 2-3 for Plattsburgh despite laboring at times, allowing six hits and three runs.  She walked six, hit two, and struck out four.

"Today was a mixed bag, we hit well in Game 1 but not as well in Game 2," said KSC head coach Haley Chandler.  "However, overall, our offense was very successful this week, which we are happy about.  Just working on that consistency will be key for us."

KSC is 12-7 in Florida over the past two years since returning to The Spring Games after a hiatus.  They will next venture back north and take on Mitchell College (3-7) in a road doubleheader on Wednesday, March 25 beginning at 2:30 p.m.