ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – The Southern New Hampshire University softball team defeated Molloy College in six innings, due to rain, by a score of 7-5 in non-conference action Saturday morning. The Penmen improve to 11-4, while the Lions are now 5-9.

Southern New Hampshire scored two runs in the sixth inning to pull away from Molloy, after the Lions tied the game in the fifth.

The Lions jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Milan Botte hit an RBI double to left center to score Brenda Lee, who reached on a single.

The Penmen did not trail for long, as they scored in the second inning off a pair of Molloy errors to tie the game at 1-1.

Molloy regained the lead once again in the top of the third inning when Lee scored another run on a Dayna White walk to make it 2-1.

Trailing 2-1 entering the top of the fourth, the Penmen scored three runs to take the lead. Sparked by a Tesia Stanasek (Blackstone, Mass.) single down the left field line, Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) followed with a single of her own to put Stanasek in scoring position. With two runners on base, Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass.) homered to left field to score three and take the lead at 4-2.

The Penmen built on its lead once again in the top of the fifth when Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass.) scored on a wild pitch to boost the lead to 5-2.

However, Molloy answered in the bottom of the fifth scoring three runs to tie game at 5-5 heading into the sixth.

With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Caruso singled through the left side to score Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine), who reached first on a walk. The visitors then built on their lead when Erin Morrissey  (Commack, N.Y.) singled to center field to score Lindsey Bolduc (Londonderry, N.H.), who also reached on a walk, to take a two-run lead at 7-5.  

Maloof then struck out two to retire the Lions and earn the win for the Penmen in the circle. The junior totaled eight strikeouts in six innings, while allowing five runs and eight hits.

The Penmen return to action Wednesday, April 2 when they travel to Saint Michael's for a Northeast-10 doubleheader with games at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

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