Springfield Softball Falls Twice to Keene State in Regular-Season Finale

Recap, photo courtesy of Springfield College

Keene, N.H. - Closing out its 2016 regular season, the Springfield College softball team dropped a pair of non-conference games to Keene State at the Owl Athletic Complex on Wednesday afternoon.

With the losses, Springfield falls to 23-17 on the year, while Keene State is now 17-13 overall. The Pride fell in the first game, 8-0, in five innings, before dropping a 3-2 decision in the second.

Up next, the Pride will travel to MIT to take on Wheaton in the first round of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championshp Tournament. The game will begin at 2:30 p.m.

Keene State 8, Springfield 0 -- Game One
Giving up six runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Pride suffered an 8-0 setback in five innings
in the first of two non-conference games with Keene State on Wednesday afternoon.

At the plate, Melissa Nelson (Milford, Conn.) posted a pair of hits in three at bats, while Simone Morin (Plantsville, Conn.), Talia Loda (East Haven, Conn.), and Jenna Webb (Harrison, N.Y.) all collected base hits in the setback.

Nicole Cring (Cooperstown, N.Y.) took the circle in game one, but it was Jordyn Moquin (Plantsville, Conn.) that pitched 3.1 innings, holding the Owls to four hits and one run, while Shelby Allen (Oakland, N.J.) came on top get the final two outs, only allowing a pair of hits.

Facing a six-run deficit after the first inning, the Pride gave up another in the bottom of the fourth, when Morgan Fallon (Reading, Mass.) drove in Kayla Votto (Durham, Conn.) to push the Owls lead to seven, before a single from Stephanie Long (Salem, N.H.) drove in Shae Crosby (Salem, Conn.) to make it 8-0, and seal the five-inning win for Keene State.

Keene State 3, Springfield 2 -- Game Two
Nelson continued her productivity in the second game of the doubleheader, and Carianna Gasdia (Wakefield, Mass.) and Elizabeth Joseph (Stamford, Conn.) picked up RBI, but the Pride fell to Keene State, 3-2, in the second game of the doubleheader at the Owls Athletic Complex on Wednesday.

Loda took the loss, as she pitched 5.0 innings, giving up just seven hits and three runs, while Moquin came in to pitch 1.0 frames, holding the Owls to one hits and picking up a strikeout.

Keene State took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Fallon, before the Pride answered in the top of the third when Joseph knocked a single up the middle, scoring Gasdia to even the score at one apiece.

Springfield would take the lead in the top of the fourth when Gasdia reached on a fielder's choice, but Morin crossed home to give the Pride a 2-1 lead.

Votto would homer in the bottom of the fifth inning, chasing Loda from the game, and giving the Owls a game two victory over the Pride.