Keene State’s softball team had a rough Saturday as it took the road trip to Boston to face off against the UMass Boston Beacons in a Little East Conference (LEC) doubleheader. The Owls left with the taste of defeat as they lost both games to UMass Boston with scores of 9-1 in each game.
On the other hand, despite the tough games, the Owls still had standout moments. First, junior center fielder Elyse Picard contributed two hits in the first game. Then, senior second baseman Kalle Halvorsen was consistent throughout the day, helping the Owls score a run in each game. Additionally, in the second game, Halvorsen’s run came thanks to hits in the fourth inning by sophomore catcher Abby Weiterman and junior first base Abbie Monkevicz.
The first game was rather quiet during its early stages. First-year pitcher Ashley Connor started for the Keene State side, keeping her pitching under control for the first two innings, during which no scores were achieved by either team. The turning point came in the third inning, when UMass Boston managed to score four runs.
In this inning, sophomore Mary Matthews, junior catcher Ella Delisle, senior outfielder Sofie Richland and senior third base Lauren Miner managed to cross home plate. Four stolen bases by UMass Boston during the inning involved junior first base Hayley Krockta, junior utility player Mya Perron, Miner and Matthews. UMass Boston was fearless throughout the game, making frequent use of stolen bases, with a total of five stolen bases.
While Connor pitched until the fifth inning, her efforts weren’t enough when sophomore pitcher Izzy Levasseur doubled and scored three more runs for the UMass Boston team, making the score 7-1 lead for the Beacons and forcing Keene State to use their sophomore relief pitcher Olivia Souers.
While the first game was hard, watching the second one was even harder for Keene State fans. UMass Boston’s Miner hit a three-run home run in the first inning and a grand slam in the second, giving them an early 8-0 lead as the Owls struggled to respond.
Junior Megan Strzegowski replaced first-year Marina Gronbach as pitcher for Keene State after Gronbach threw only four pitches and UMass Boston established an eight-run lead. Strzegowski adjusted well after her rocky start, allowing only one earned run during her 3.2 innings pitched. Strzegowski’s pitching provided some encouragement for the Owls, yet their offence was unable to do anything with it.
Keene State finally scored in the fourth inning with a Halvorsen single bringing home Weiterman, but that would be the only run that the Owls managed to get off against the Beacons junior pitcher Lauryn Meade, who pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Meade was efficient and in control for the full six innings, winning 9-1.
Alexander Vaccaro can be contacted at
avaccaro@kscequinox.com
