WALTHAM, Mass.—Pitchers Kelsey Griffin (Scarborough, Maine) and Dolores Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y.) both threw two-hit complete games to lead the Southern New Hampshire University softball team to a sweep of Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference action on Tuesday afternoon, posting a 4-1 win over the hosts in the first game and capping the day with a 5-2 win. With the wins, the Penmen improve to 4-12 overall and 2-0 in NE-10 action, while the loss drops the Falcons to 7-5 overall and 0-2 in league play.
The Penmen would take an early 1-0 lead in the top of second inning as Elena Anderson (Salem, Wisc.) hit a triple to centerfield and then scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Melissa Vitagliano (Bedford, N.H.). The Falcons would even the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning as Megan Blier reached first on a throwing error, advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Tara Fogarty, and advanced on another Penmen throwing error.
The score would remain unchanged until the top of the sixth inning, when the Penmen scored three runs. Kate Stanley (Kingston, Mass.) reached on a single hit up the middle of the field. Amanda Barton (Franklin, N.H.) would then reach first base on a throwing by Fogarty, advancing Stanley to second. Both runners would score on a triple by Cristy Jenkins (Hudson, Mass.) who would then score herself on a single by Kelsea Cheney (Abington, Mass.) to round out scoring for game one.
Griffin earned the win in the circle for the Penmen, allowing just two hits while striking out 13 Bentley batters and walking two in seven innings of work.
In the nightcap, the Penmen would score early, as back-to-back doubles by Jenkins and Cheney in the first inning would give SNHU the early 1-0 lead. The Falcons would answer in the bottom of the first inning with two runs of their own to take their only lead of the day.
The Falcons would carry the 2-1 lead until the top of the fourth inning when Jenkins reached first on a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Anderson would then single to left field, advancing Jenkins to third. Vitagliano would then hit her second homerun of the season, tallying three RBI and giving the Penmen the 4-2 advantage. SNHU would tack on another run in the seventh inning to solidify the 5-2 win for the Penmen.
Mattice earned the win in the circle for the Penmen in game two, allowing just two hits and striking out 12 in a complete-game effort to post her second collegiate win.
Fogarty took both losses in the circle for Bentley, giving up six hits and striking out seven in game one, while sacrificing 11 hits and five earned runs while striking out five in game two.
The Penmen return to action on Friday, April 1, hosting C.W. Post in a non-conference doubleheader at Penmen Field. The first game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.
