Box Score KEENE, N.H. – Junior Sara Bracken's (Windham, N.H./Salem) infield single in the bottom of the ninth inning proved to be decisive as the Keene State College Owls defeated the University of Southern Maine Huskies 6-5 in extra innings in a Little East Conference softball game Saturday at the Owl Athletic Complex. Originally scheduled as a double-header the second game was postponed and will be played at a time to be determined.
With the win, the Owls bounce back from a two-game losing streak to stand at 11-12 overall and 3-4 in the Little East Conference. Southern Maine sees its two-game win streak end and falls to 14-16 overall and 2-7 in the LEC.
Bracken's two-out single to shortstop was the Owls' second infield hit of the inning. KSC freshman Kayla Votto (Durham, Conn./Coginchaug) started the offense with a single to shortstop with one down and then put herself into scoring position with a stolen base. With Votto as second and two-outs Bracken's single advanced Votto to third, who then came around to score on a USM throwing error.
KSC starter sophomore Mariah Crisp (Greenland, N.H./Portsmouth) earned the win to improve to 7-6 on the season. Crips struck out 15 Huskies in nine innings of work. She allowed three earned runs on seven hits and four walks. Southern Maine freshman Desiree Benner (Friendship, Maine/Medomak Valley) pitched well in the loss, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks. She struck out seven.
Southern Maine rallied twice in the game to force extra innings. Trailing 2-0 after three innings, the Huskies rallied for two runs in the top of the fourth. Senior Stefanie Stockwell (Buxton, Maine/Bonny Eagle) doubled in a pair of runs to get the Huskies' on the board. Freshman Samantha Crosman (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) reached on an error and then landed at third base on a double from junior Kristen Duross (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) before Stockwell connected on her 16th and 17th RBI of the season with her seventh double.
The Owls reclaimed the lead with a three-run bottom of the fifth inning. Bracken singled in the Owls first run of the inning, before freshman Aliza Guerrero (Fairfield, Conn../Fairfield-Ludlowe) smacked a two-run home run over the left field fence to put her team ahead 5-3.
USM made it 5-4 in the top of the sixth scoring both of their runs after two outs. Freshman Danni Humphrey (Walnut Creek, Calif./Northgate) singled in a pair of runs with a shot to right center field to score Duross and Stockwell who had back-to-back singles with two down. Crosman tied the game up for USM in the top of the seventh with an RBI single down the right field line to force extra innings. Crosman's hit was her team-leading 37th hit of the season. The Huskies' freshman has hit safely in 19 out of the last 20 games and the last five consecutively.
Keene State threatened in the bottom of the seventh but was unsuccessful and both teams went down in order in the eighth inning. In the top of the ninth, Crisp but the first two Huskies' batters on strike outs before retiring the final USM player with a fly out.
Southern Maine will return to action on Wednesday in a Little East Conference doubleheader when they host UMass Boston (3:30 p.m.). Keene State travels to Williams on Monday (3:30 p.m.) for a non-conference doubleheader.
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