MANCHESTER, N.H.—The Southern New Hampshire University softball team posted a Northeast-10 Conference split with Saint Michael's College on Thursday afternoon, winning game one 7-1 before falling 3-2 in the nightcap. With the split, the Penmen set their record to 18-22 overall and 16-10 in NE-10 play, while the Purple Knights now sit at 6-28 overall and 4-10 in league play.
The Penmen took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the first game and added three runs in both the third and fourth innings to total seven runs. Saint Michael's tallied one unearned run in the third inning to get on the board.
Amanda Barton (Franklin, N.H.) and Cristy Jenkins (Hudson, Mass.) each tallied three hits in the game while Cara Daly (Plainville, Mass.) led the Penmen with three RBIs, belting a three-run home run in the fourth inning.
Kelsey Griffin (Scarborough, Maine) earned the win in the circle, scattering three hits over seven innings while walking three and striking out eight. Griffin also had two strikeouts in relief in game two and now sits just 12 strikeouts shy of SNHU's school record of 300.
In the nightcap, SNHU took an early lead in the first inning as Barton and Kate Stanley (Kingston, Mass.) both scored. The Purple Knights would not answer until the top of the fifth inning when they strung together three singles and a double to score three runs. The Penmen were unable to answer in the bottom of the fifth or in the sixth inning. The game was ended at the end of the sixth inning due to darkness.
Dolores Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y.) took the loss in the circle, sacrificing eight hits and three runs in 4.2 innings of work. She struck out four and did not walk a batter before giving way to Griffin, who did not allow a hit in 1.1 innings of work.
Barton connected for two hits in the nightcap and Kelsea Cheney (Abington, Mass.), Daly, Melissa Vitagliano (Bedford, N.H.), Griffin, and Morgan Farmer (Kingston, N.H.) each recorded a hit as the Penmen totaled seven hits off of Saint Michael's pitchers Laura McCormack and Stephanie Frank.
Southern New Hampshire is back in action this weekend, traveling to Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday for a doubleheader scheduled for noon and playing at the University of New Haven on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for the final two NE-10 Conference doubleheaders of the regular season.
