GORHAM, Maine -  Senior Hannah Shields (Buckfield, Maine) was 3-for-7 with a walk-off RBI double in game one, and freshman Olivia Levasseur (Amesbury, Mass.) drove in the game-winning run in game two with an RBI single as the University of Southern Maine Huskies swept the Keene State College Owls 3-2, 2-1 in a Little East Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the USM Softball Stadium.
 
THE SERIES:
Today's doubleheader marked the 67^th and 68^th meetings between the University of Southern Maine and Keene State College.  The Owls lead the overall series 37-31; however, the Huskies have won nine of the last 10 meetings, including today's games.  The Huskies have won the last nine consecutively.
 
THE BASICS:
Game 1 - Records:
Keene State (7-20, 3-8 LEC)
Southern Maine (14-15, 5-4 LEC) 
Score: Southern Maine 3, Keene State 2
 
Game – 2 Records: 
Keene State (7-21, 3-9)
Southern Maine (15-15, 6-4 LEC) 
Score: Southern Maine 2, Keene State 1
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. KSC – Game 1
Winning Pitcher: SM, Lauren Merrill (8-6), 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: KSC, Lilah Demmy (4-6), 6.1 IP, 8 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
Save: None
 
Pitching – Southern Maine vs. KSC – Game 2
Winning Pitcher: SM, Belle Snyder (5-7), 7.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts
Losing Pitcher: KSC, Carissa Miller (1-11), 6.0 IP, 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Save: None
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. KSC Game 1:

• Southern Maine struck first in game one and led 1-0 in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI double to the gap in left from junior Lauren Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills). 
• Merrill, the game-one winner, pitched an outstanding game, holding the Owls to five hits.  Keene State collected three of those hits in the top of the sixth to leap ahead of USM 2-1.  Lilah Demmy singled up the middle to start, and moved to third on a ground out and a single to first from Molly Murray.  With runners on first and third, the Huskies got two outs turning a double play before KSC took the lead with a two-run, two-out single to left from Liv Whitter.
• USM rallied to tie the game up in the sixth on a pinch-hit single from junior Dory Kulis (Georgetown, Maine/Morse), taking advantage of a fielding error and a single from Makena Mulcahy and a walk from Ella Bezanson.
• Merrill continued her strong work in the top of the seven, working her way around a walk, getting two ground outs and picking up her fourth strikeout of the game.
• KSC got the first out of the bottom of the seventh, before senior Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.) reached on the Owls' fourth error of the game to give USM a potential go-ahead run. With the game on the line, Shields knocked her fifth double of the season toward left for the game-winning double. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. KSC Game 2:

• Junior Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.) struck out 12, and held the Owls to one run and two hits in game two. 
• Snyder retired eight consecutive batters into the third inning, and the game remained scoreless after three full.  USM threatened in the bottom of the third with a runner in scoring position after a leadoff single from senior Lauren Miller (St. George, Maine/Morse) but were unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
• Keene State went up 1-0 in the top of the fourth as Snyder issued back-to-back walks to Whittier and Mia Ferry.  Whittier and Ferry moved up to third and second with a foul out that moved up a runner, and a stolen base.  Demmy had the RBI with a fielder's choice sacrifice for the lead.
• KSC kept the Huskies off of the board as hurler Carissa Miller worked around a lead off single from Shields in the bottom of the fourth, and a lead off single from Miller in the fifth.  In the bottom of the sixth, Scott led off the inning with a double to start the rally.  Sophomore Brook Kulis (Georgetown, Maine/Morse) pinch ran for Scott and moved up to third on an infield single from Shields. Kulis scored on an RBI sacrifice fly from freshman Kendal Migliorini (Salem, N.H.) to tie the game up at one. 
• KSC got the second out of the game, and the Huskies had a Shields on third before Levasseur stroked a single up the middle of the go-ahead run. 
• In the seventh, Snyder went 1-2-3 with a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts to earn the win.   

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Southern Maine's 3-2 walk off win in the game one was its third consecutive walk-off victory, as the Huskies swept Saint Joseph's College in dramatic fashion earlier in the week.
• Shield's RBI double is her second game-winning RBI of the week, as she had an RBI ground out in the bottom of the bottom of the 10^th in an 8-7 win over Saint Joseph's.
• . 

 
UP NEXT:
Southern Maine returns to action on the road at Plymouth State University on Tuesday (3:30/5:30 pm) for a Little East Conference doubleheader.  The Huskies remain on the road Thursday (3:00/5:00 pm) for a non-conference doubleheader at Bates College. 
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