GAME 1: Softball shutout in 6-0 loss
Keene State Softball went into the doubleheader against the Montclair State Red Hawks looking to build off their four-game winning streak, but those hopes were crushed in game one of the day.
In the first inning, the Owls walked once but didn’t build off of it, going into the bottom half scoreless.
The Red Hawks on the other hand opened up scoring early after Montclair outfielder Rileigh Glynn hit a leadoff single and then ran a circle around the Owls, stealing second and third and ultimately scoring on a wild pitch. Following a walk, the Owls’ starter first-year Emma Chenette closed the inning with a foul-out and a pop-up.
The Red Hawks did not stop clawing in the second. A pair of singles and steals allowed Montclair to notch an RBI single through the left, padding their lead to 2-0.
Continued offensive woes showed throughout the game for the Owls, who did not earn their first hit of the game until the fifth inning.
In the fourth, Montclair had another pair of singles and a walk, loading the bases and putting the Owls in dire straits.
The Red Hawks’ pitcher Stephanie Seretis crushed a two-RBI single to left field, increasing the team’s lead to 4-0.
After a single and a walk, the Owls had their first chance in the game to start an offensive rally but was quickly stopped short after a groundout ended the inning.
Montclair added on again in their half of the fifth, after a single ended up with a runner on third after a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. An RBI sacrifice fly put the Red Hawks up 5-0.
The Owls got another hit in the sixth but did not build off of it and in the bottom
half of the sixth Montclair scored their final run of the game off of a sacrifice fly.
In the seventh, KSC got their third hit of the game, a single, but no offense followed.
In the end, the Owls were shutout 6-0 with pitcher/infielder Lilah Demmy taking the loss. Demmy had one strikeout in the game and gave up 10 hits, with six earned runs.
GAME 2: Owls offense wakes up, but falls short
After a discouraging shutout, KSC looked to come out of the second game with a split but fell short despite an offensive resurgence.
Once again, the Red Hawks opened up scoring in the first after a player reached on a fielding error, followed by a walk and an RBI single. The bleeding stopped there though, allowing the Owls to spring ahead in the second.
Leading off, junior infielder/outfielder Liv Whittier reached base on a fielding error. Although two outs followed, sophomore outfielder/second baseman Morgan Rodrigues drew a walk. Sophomore infielder Kalle Halvorsen hit an RBI single and Chenette followed with one of her own.
However, the scoring did not stop there junior pitcher/outfielder Carissa Miller slashed a triple to right field, scoring two more runs and ending the inning with a 4-1 lead.
Montclair got a couple of runners on base off the backs of a walk and single but ended up leaving the runners going into the third.
KSC had another scoring opportunity in the third after Whittier tripled to right but after a walk, a strikeout and a fly-out ended the inning scoreless.
The Red Hawks presented trouble for the Owls in the third after a leadoff double, a sacrifice bunt and a pair of walks loaded up the bases. Fortunately for KSC, Chenette escaped the inning unscathed after a strikeout and groundout.
The Owls drew two walks in the fourth but lacked offensive action, leaving the inning without adding to their score.
KSC pulled Chenette from the game in the fourth and put first-year pitcher/second baseman Megan Strzegowski in the game.
Strzegowski quickly ran into trouble against the Red Hawks, giving up two singles back-to-back and a walk. Following this was a two-RBI single, a run-scoring fielder’s choice and two RBI singles which saw Montclair fly into the lead at 6-4.
Chenette was put back into the game following the offensive rally by Montclair.
The Owls didn’t strike back in the fifth, but the Red Hawks added on. With a leadoff walk and the runner stealing second, an RBI single came down, padding their lead to 7-4.
The sixth proved promising for the KSC comeback bid with two leadoff singles and a sacrifice bunt pushes runners into scoring position. Another sacrifice bunt following induced a fielding error on a fielder’s choice, which plated the Owls’ fifth and final run of the game.
While Whittier singled in the seventh and a fielder’s choice followed by a throwing error put two players in scoring position, the Owls struck out, fouled out and lined out in order which ended the day in another loss.
Strzegowski took the loss for the Owls, giving up four earned runs.
Softball will face Vermont State Castleton at home in a March 30 doubleheader next.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
nhope@kscequinox.com
