April 30, 2010
Box Score
BOSTON, MA - The Keene State College pitching staff allowed just one run in 14 innings, including a 1-0 shutout in the first game of a Little East Conference doubleheader sweep over host University of Massachusetts Boston today at the Clark Athletic Center Field on the campus of UMass Boston. The Owls took the nightcap, 7-1, to improve to 22-11-1 overall and 9-3 in LEC play, while the Beacons fall to 20-17 and 4-8.
Keene State snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the fifth of game one when sophomore designated player Samantha Pratt (Bristol, CT) stroked a double to left center field, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt to third by sophomore right fielder Elizabeth McNamara (Londonderry, NH) and came home on a bunt single to third base by sophomore first baseman Haley Chandler (Wakefield, MA) for the game's only run.
Sophomore starting pitcher Courtney Savoie (Stratham, NH) was cruising for the Owls heading into the seventh, but freshman third baseman Marisa McKinnon (Revere, MA) greeted her with a leadoff single to center field for just the second hit of the day for UMass Boston. Pratt came on to close out the game from the circle, but not before sophomore left fielder Jaci Goodwin (Melrose, MA) reached on a one-out bunt single. Junior center fielder Christina Polsonetti (Revere, MA) followed with a bunt, but Pratt fielded and got the force out at third base for the second out of the frame. Sophomore first baseman Lisa Polsonetti (Revere, MA) reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases with two outs, but Pratt was able to get a strikeout to end the contest.
Savoie allowed just two hits and struck out 10 in six-plus innings of work to earn the victory and improve to 9-3 for Keene State and Pratt earned her sixth save of the year with an inning of one-hit relief that included a pair of strikeouts. Junior southpaw Emily Wolf (Salem, NH) was the tough luck loser for the Beacons, allowing just one run on six hits and struck out two batters in seven complete innings.
The Owls' Pratt was the only batter to collect two hits in the game. Senior right fielder Amanda Cianciulli (Billerica, MA) joined McKinnon and Goodwin with the only hits for UMass Boston.
Keene State put three runs on the board to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the second game when Haley Chandler and sophomore center fielder Laura Chandler (Wakefield, MA) began the frame with back-to-back singles. A bunt single by sophomore shortstop Katie Bradford (Lebanon, NH) resulted in the Beacons' infield converging on the ball, only to see Haley Chandler continue to hustle around third and score the first run of the contest. Freshman third baseman Nicole Dupuis (Fitchburg, MA) followed with a two-run double to center field to give the visitors a 3-0 margin. The Owls tacked on two more runs in the fourth when Haley Chandler rapped a two-out single through the left side and waltzed home on a two-run home run over the left field fence for a 5-0 lead. Keene State made it 6-0 in the fifth when it loaded the bases thanks to singles from Dupuis, senior catcher Stephanie Lavado (Wallingford, CT) and a full count walk drawn by junior designated player Heather Harold (Newton, NJ). UMass Boston starting pitcher Kara Willis (Burrillville, RI) induced a fly out to leave her an out away from ending the frame, but freshman left fielder Jessica Fiorenza (Wakefield, MA) worked the count full before taking a base on balls to force in the Owls' sixth run of the game.
The Beacons scored their first run of the day in the bottom of the fifth when Christina Polsonetti singled through the left side, stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored on a Cianciulli ground out to cut the deficit to 6-1. Keene State answered in the sixth when Bradford reached on a one-out single and later scored on a single to center field off the bat of Dupuis to increase its lead to 7-1.
Sophomore starting pitcher Emily Albin (Bethel, CT) improved to 6-1 for the Owls, hurling four innings of three-hit ball, while issuing one free pass and fanning three. Pratt tossed the final inning and a third, allowing no hits, while striking out one for Keene State. Willis (8-9) took the loss for UMass Boston, allowing seven runs on 14 hits and five walks, while striking out five in seven complete innings.
Laura Chandler, Dupuis and Lavado all collected three hits for the Owls with Dupuis driving in three runs and Chandler knocking in a pair. Freshman second baseman Kasey O'Connell (Quincy, MA) led the Beacons with a pair of hits.
UMass Boston will be in action again tomorrow when it travels to Plymouth, NH to take on Plymouth State University in a 1:00 p.m. Little East Conference twinbill, while Keene State hosts University of Southern Maine in a league doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
