The Middlebury softball team swept Keene State in its final regular season non-conference contests of the year. The Panthers claimed the opening game 4-2, before shutting out the Owls 5-0 in the nightcap.
 
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS

• The hosts jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Kristyn Carroll walked, stole second and raced around to touch home on a double up the middle by Olivia Scholes. Cate Viola followed with a base knock and moved to second, while Scholes scored behind a throwing error. Viola gave Middlebury its third run of the frame when Olivia Fleming grounded out to shortstop.
• In the third inning, Jennifer Westphal led off with a double that rattled around the left-field corner and advanced around the bases to score on back-to-back groundouts to make it 4-0.
• Keene State cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth. Liv Whittier scampered home on a throwing error, before a sacrifice fly by Kalee Keyser brought Molly Murray home to make it 4-2.
• The Panthers retired the side in order in the final inning to preserve the 4-2 triumph. 

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS

• Middlebury threatened to get on the board in the first stanza. With runners on second and third, Carroll raced toward the plate on a fielder's choice off the bat of Viola, but the plate umpire called Carroll out as the teams remained scoreless.
• Keene State put runners on first and second to start the next inning, but the Panthers shut the door with three-straight outs.
• Middlebury took a 1-0 edge in the bottom of the third. Westphal singled to right field, advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a single by Scholes, before touching home on a base knock from Viola.
• The Panthers increased their advantage in the next at-bat. Uma Corcoran led off with a single through the left side before racing around to score on an error. Middlebury loaded the bases later in the inning with two outs, and a blast by Scholes that bounced off the left-center fence plated all three for the 5-0 lead.
• Middlebury looked to add to its advantage in the fifth when Carroll walked and advanced to third on a double to center by Scholes, but the Owls recorded the final out.
• The Panthers kept Keene State off the scoreboard over the final pair of innings to secure the 5-0 win. 

NOTES

• Samantha Hausman came into the circle in relief in the fifth to earn her first save of the season in the opener. The Panther closed out the final pair of innings in the second game with a pair of strikeouts. 
• Lont earned the win in the nightcap with six strikeouts over five innings.
• In the second game, Scholes was 3-for-4 with a trio of RBI and a pair of doubles. With four runs batted in over the games, she moves into a tie for fifth with 39 this season.

Middlebury travels to Wesleyan for doubleheader action on Saturday to close out the regular season.