WALTHAM, Mass. – The Southern New Hampshire softball team split in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader against Bentley University Monday afternoon. The Penmen improve to 24-12, while Bentley is now 13-24.

In the first game of the day, the Penmen took an early lead and defeated the Falcons by a score of 7-2.

With two outs in the top of the first inning, a Kate Stanley (Kingston, Mass.) RBI drove in the first Penmen run of the game to take an early 1-0 lead.  

However, the Falcons answered with two runs in the bottom of the second when Alex Borrelli led-off with a triple, followed by a Halley McDevitt sacrifice fly to score Borrelli. Another RBI single scored the second run of the inning and gave Bentley a 2-1 advantage.

Bentley did not keep the lead for long as SNHU battled back in the following inning to score two more runs and regain the lead for good. Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) reached first on a bunt, and advanced when Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine) reached on an error. Maloof scored on a passed ball, and Hannan made it around the bases on a Stanley sacrifice fly to center field.

SNHU built on its lead in the fourth when they scored another run on a Bentley error to boost the run total to four.

Cristy Jenkins (Hudson, N.H.) secured the win in the fifth inning when she knocked out a three-run homer to left field.

Maloof pitched a complete game in the circle while striking out nine and allowing just four hits and two runs to earn the win. Kelly Ferris got the loss in the circle for the Falcons while giving up three runs in three innings pitched.

In the second game of the day, Bentley defeated the Penmen in extra innings by a score of 4-3.

The Falcons took an early lead in the bottom of the first when Shannon Connor scored on a Penmen fielding error after leading off with a double, and an RBI single from Jackie Gauthier scored the second run to give Bentley a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

Bentley held its lead until the sixth inning when SNHU tied the game up. Cara Daly (Plainville, Mass.) reached on a single, and advanced to second after Hannan reached on a fielder's choice, and a Falcon's error. With two runners on base, Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass.) singled through the right side to advance the runners, and a Jessica Douillette (Concord, N.H.) single to center field scored two runs to tie the game at 2-2 heading into the final inning.

After a scoreless seventh inning, the game was sent into extra innings. The Penmen scored in the eighth when Stanley led-off with a double, and a Daly sacrifice bunt advanced the senior to third. Caruso followed with her second hit of the game to score Stanley and to take a 3-2 lead.

However, Bentley answered in the bottom of the inning to take the win. Laura McDonough led-off with a single and advanced to second on a Borrelli sacrifice bunt. Gauthier then singled to advance McDonough once again, and Samantha Tierney's single to left center scored two runs to win the game.

Dolores Mattice (Schenectady, N.Y.) was credited with the loss while pitching four innings. She totaled seven strikeouts and gave up three hits and two runs. Caitlin Betz earned the win in the circle for the Falcons with four strikeouts and allowing three runs on eight hits in a complete game.

The Penmen return to action Tuesday, April 24 when they travel to Saint Michael's for a league doubleheader at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.