DANBURY, Conn. - Junior 2B Kendall Allen (Naugatuck, Conn.) went 6-for-9 with two runs, a double, and eight RBIs, as the Western Connecticut State University Wolves split a Little East Conference (LEC) softball doubleheader, 9/7-10/6, against the visiting Keene State College Owls this afternoon at Westside Field.  WestConn is now 10-14, having won six of eight games over the last four days, and earns its first LEC game against five losses.  The Owls are now 10-8 overall and 2-2 in the league.  The Wolves will visit conference foe Rhode Island College next for a doubleheader on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

WestConn came back from a 10-3 deficit in game one but fell short by a single run, before rallying to win the second game, 7-6.  WestConn pounced on the Owls in the first inning of the second game, scoring three runs on three singles, a walk, and an HBP.  Senior SS Jaycee Filancia (Hopewell, Junction, N.Y.) led off the bottom of the first frame with a single, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by Allen. Four batters later, Wolves rookie delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single that drove home Allen and sophomore Julia Valukis (Rockville Centre, N.Y.).  WestConn sophomore C Victoria Wiatrak (Cromwell, Conn.) doubled and Valukis singled, and both scored on a two-run double by senior Alexis Resto (Shelton, Conn.) to give the home team a 5-0 lead after four innings.

Keene State scored twice in the fifth inning and once more in the sixth, but WestConn answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Freshman 1B Serenity Ortega (Riverside, Calif.) led off with a single and Filancia was hit by a pitch.  Sophomore CR Sera DeBaggis (Mendon, Mass.) singled to load the bases and Allen knocked home Ortega and Filancia was her sixth hit of the day.  Wiatrak followed with an apparent sacrifice fly to left field, but DeBaggis was called out for leaving third base early to keep the score at 7-3.  The Owls cut their deficit to one at 7-6 on three unearned runs, but Wolves senior lefty Olivia Bordenaro (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) retired the last three batters in a row, including two strikeouts, with the tying run on third to complete her complete-game victory.

Keene State had opened the first game with four runs in the top of the first inning.  Allen drove in WestConn's first run with a single in the bottom of the first and the Owls answered with an unearned run in the third inning.  Filancia walked and scored on an Allen single.  DeBaggis also singled in the inning was driven home on a single by Valukis to make the score, 5-3, after three innings. The Owls went ahead, 10-3, with three runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth, but the Wolves erupted with six runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Allen highlighted the inning with a three0run double, while Wiatrak and Valukis each had run-scoring singles, and Valukis scored the ninth WestConn run.  WestConn junior starter Lindsay Farinacchio (Red Hook, N.Y.) re-entered the game and pitched a scoreless seventh, but the Wolves could not push the tying run across in their last turn at bat.

Bordenaro scattered nine hits and walked four with seven strikeouts, and four of Keene's six runs were unearned as she improved to 7-4.  Farinacchio dropped to 2-9 in the first game despite allowing just two earned runs and fanning four.  WestConn committed five errors in each game, resulting in 11 unearned runs.  Valukis was 4-for-5 with two walks for the Wolves offense.  Megan Strzegowski improved to 3-0 with her win in relief in game one for Keene State and Olivia Souers got a save in the first game but started and lost the second.  Abbie Wieterman was 4-for-8 for the Owl offense.