With the Keene State campus all quiet as students headed home for spring break, the college’s softball team was just getting started. The team travelled down to the Sunshine State of Florida for their first nine games of the season.
Head Coach and KSC Alum Haley Chandler said this trip to begin the season was important for team chemistry, both on and off the field.
“They all are kind of getting to know each other, seeing each other at practice, but Florida is when we spend a good chunk of time together. All twenty of them stay in the same condo together for eight days,” said Chandler.
The season began in Clermont, Fla., with a doubleheader on Sunday, March 15. The first game of the day ended in an overwhelming 14-6 (five innings) win over Augsburg University. This win was subsequently followed by a close 5-4 (seven innings) win over Salem State’s Vikings later on in the day.
The next day brought nothing but storms for the next double-header the Owls played. The first game against Simpson College was delayed an hour because of the weather. The Owls put the first points on the board thanks to senior second baseman Kalle Halvorsen, assisted by a fly from junior catcher Elyse Picard. Simpson responded quickly with a run to tie the game 1-1, though that is all the softball that would’ve been played on Monday. In the bottom of the second, the game was postponed due to the weather. The second game against Clarkson University was also postponed.
Tuesday, March 17, went much better for the Owls. Keene State put up a convincing win over Macalester. The team did not trail at all during the game and finished with a score of 8-4. The second game was the pinnacle of the week for the Owls. They shut out the Worcester State Lancers 15-0 in an effort led by first-year pitcher Jaelyn Boretti, who had five strikeouts in her collegiate debut. The Owls only allowed one hit from the Lancers through the five innings.
Two days later, on March 19, the team played a triple-header. The first was the continuation of the postponed game against Simpson. The Owls couldn’t gain any traction during the game, losing 11-3 and ending their winning streak.
The next game against Springfield College saw much of the same, a slow start. Allowing five runs by the bottom of the third, first-year infielder Cainen Avery put the first points on the board for KSC, though they would fall 14-5 in the end.
The Owls rebounded in the third game against SUNY Morrisville. Picard helped drive in four runs to extend the team’s lead to 4-0. The game ended in a 9-0 win for the Owls. First-year outfielder Anna Gostkowski also had an impressive stat line against SUNY with a pair of stolen bases, a pair of runs and even a pair of walks. Chandler spoke on how the young player should help the team this season.
“She bats lead-off for us, and as a freshman batting lead-off, it’s terrifying, and she has handled it in stride,” Chandler said. “She’s hitting 400-something (.414), so she’s smashing, and we’re excited to see it continue, and she’s also fast, so she can steal bases. I’d say Anna’s had a good hot start.”
The final day started with a 17-5 win over Franklin and Marshall College. Eight different Owls managed to record a hit and an RBI. Four of them had three-hit games, contributing to the 18-hit attack from KSC. Unfortunately, the Owls were not able to go 2-0 on the day. They fell in a 7-3 loss against Plattsburgh State after allowing four runs in the third, then another three in the sixth innings.
Chandler praised the offensive performance of the team to begin the season, as the team put double digits up in many of the games during the trip.
“Our offensive production is just so much more improved from last season. I looked at our runs scored recently, and we are almost at half of what we scored in the entire season last year, and we’ve only played nine games,” Chandler said, “We have a lot of young talent and a lot of our returners have put a lot of puzzle pieces together at the plate and we’re excited to see that continue.”
With the games in Florida concluded, the Owls will next play back in the New England region in a doubleheader against Smith College on Friday, March 27.
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