KEENE, N.H. – The Eastern Connecticut State University softball team remained in the hunt for a ninth Little East Conference regular-season championship since 2008 with 9-1 (5 inn.), 12-4  victories over Keene State College Tuesday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Ranked third nationally, Eastern (24-2, 12-2 LEC) closes out the LEC regular season by hosting the University of Massachusetts Boston Saturday in an LEC doubleheader at 1 p.m. The University of Southern Maine (25-2-1, 11-1 LEC)  hosts Castleton University Friday in a 3 p.m. LEC doubleheader and closes out with a 2 p.m. LEC doubleheader at Plymouth State University Saturday.

UMass Boston is in eighth place with a 2-8 LEC mark. Castleton is fourth at 7-7 in the LEC and Plymouth State third at 6-2.
An Eastern sweep Saturday coupled with two USM losses in its last four games gives Eastern the outright regular-season championship and No. 1 tournament seed. Two Eastern wins and one USM loss in its last four games leave Eastern and USM as co-champions, both at 14-2. The teams split their regular-season set Sunday at Gorham, ME.

Against Keene, first-game winning pitcher Carley Stoker (Sandy Creek, NY) hit three home runs, drove in nine runs and scored five runs, senior outfielder Alexis Tyrrell (Torrington) had five hits, scored five runs and stole three bases, junior Brooke Matyasovsky (Orange) doubled, homered and singled twice, scored four runs and drove in four and freshman  outfielder Taylor Darby (South Windsor) had three hits and drove in three runs.

Stoker (12-0) pitched a two-hitter with five strikeouts and a walk in the first game, and Matyasovsky (12-2) allowed three runs on eight hits in the second game before giving way to sophomore Alyssa Vilchez (Brampton, ON), who gave up two hits and a run in her pitching debut.

Eastern has beaten Keene (5-21, 4-10 LEC) the last 11 times the teams have met.