Eastern Connecticut pitcher Molly Rathbun, left, with catcher Megan Bondy. Eastern Connecticut athletics file photo

Junior third baseman Arielle Cooper hit her 18th and 19 career home runs in the opener to back senior All-America Molly Rathbun's 33rd consecutive regular-season northern pitching win when the Eastern Connecticut State softball team extended its current win streak to 16 games with 9-2, 10-3 triumphs over Keene State on Saturday afternoon at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Ranked No. 4 nationally, Eastern (17-1, 4-0 Little East) equaled the program's third-longest winning streak with its 16th straight one, 11 behind the all-time mark and one shy of its second-longest streak, set a year ago. Eastern is 8-0 up north and has beaten Keene (10-4, 0-2 Little East) the last six times the teams have meet. Rathbun remained undefeated in six lifetime decisions against Keene.

Rathbun (12-1), now 41-2 in her career in regular-season northern games, set the program record for innings pitched (632.0) and recorded her 900th career strikeout in the doubleheader. Rathbun  pitched a complete-game four-hitter with ten strikeouts and no walks for her 11th straight win in the first game and wrapped up the second-game victory with 1 2/3 hitless innings with three strikeouts in the second game.  Rathbun did not allow an earned run on the day in lowering her season ERA to 0.48.

Cooper, second all-time to Rathbun's 23 career home runs, had  three hits in each game, scored five runs and drove in two. Rathbun reached safely six times on the day with five singles and a walk and drove in five runs. Rathbun leads Eastern with a .426 average and with 13 RBI. Cooper follows at .415 with a team-leading six home runs (five in the last eight games), 27 hits and 53 total bases and is second to Rathbun with 12 RBI.

Three Eastern pitchers did not allow an earned run on the day and combined for 14 strikeouts and three walks. Junior righty Kassondra Silva hiked her record to 5-0 by pitching the first four innings of the nightcap. She was charged with three unearned runs while fanning one and walking one.

Ten batters collected at least one hit on the afternoon off five Keene State pitchers. Sophomore shortstop Megan Godwin and senior rightfielder Priscilla Alicea each had three hits and sophomore centerfielder Mattie Brett reached four times with a hit, two walks and a hit-by-pitch.

Eastern hosts Trinity College Tuesday in a 4 p.m. non-conference doubleheader.