NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Southern New Hampshire softball team split in Northeast-10 doubleheader action Friday afternoon against Merrimack College. The Penmen are now 22-10 overall and 10-2 in league play, while the Warriors are 16-16 and 7-4 in the conference.

In the first game of the day, Merrimack defeated the Penmen by a score of 1-0 after scoring a third inning run.

After giving up no runs and no hits through two innings, the Warriors scored the first and only run of the game in the bottom of the third inning.  A lead-off single from Jessica Fugazzotto got things going for the Warriors as she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kearia Perry then singled to center field to score Fugazzatto and take a 1-0 lead.

The Penmen could not answer in the following innings, and could only connect for one hit in the loss.

Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) got the loss in the circle despite giving up just three hits, one run, and striking out seven, while Kelli Jo Deardorff earned the win for Merrimack giving up just one hit and shutting out SNHU.

The Penmen bounced back in the second game of the day while defeating the Warriors by a score of 3-1.

Southern New Hampshire scored three third inning runs to take a comfortable lead over the Warriors. Jessica Douillette (Concord, N.H.) led off the inning by reaching on a Warrior error, and Lindsey Bolduc (Londonderry, N.H.), who pinch ran for the senior, continued around the bases on a Maloof sacrifice fly to center field. Tesia Stanasek (Blackstone, Mass.) followed with a single down the left field line, and Kate Stanley (Kingston, Mass.) brought Stanasek home with her tenth homerun of the season to take a 3-1 lead out of the inning.

Merrimack's lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Alexis Perry homered to right center.

Dolores Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y.) recorded the win while pitching a complete game for SNHU. The junior totaled six strikeouts, while giving up four hits and just one run. Alexis Perry got the loss in the circle for Merrimack while giving up five hits and three runs.

The Penmen return to action Sunday, April 21 when they travel to Bentley University for a league doubleheader at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.