MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) and freshman Sarah Lavallee (Candia, N.H.) combined to hold Saint Michael's College to just two hits, as the No. 24 Southern New Hampshire University softball team topped the Purple Knights, 6-0, in Northeast-10 Conference action at Penmen Field on Tuesday. The Penmen improve to 24-6 and 13-3 in league play, while Saint Michael's falls to 2-23 overall and 2-13 within the confines of the NE-10.

Southern New Hampshire, who was the visiting team in the contest due to a site change, pounded out 16 hits in the victory and eight of the team's nine starters recorded at least one hit. Senior Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass.) led the way for the Penmen with a 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate that included a home run, two runs batted in and two runs scored. Lavalle also finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI, while junior Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine) chipped in with three hits and drove in one.

After a scoreless first, the Penmen jumped out to a two-run lead in the top half of the second. Eicher reached on a one-out single and came around to score when Lavallee smacked a double to right center. Two batters later, Hannan delivered an RBI single that plated Lavallee and pushed Southern New Hampshire in front, 2-0.

In the third, the Penmen were able to tack on a pair of runs and build a 4-0 advantage. Junior Lindsey Bolduc (Londonderry, N.H.) launched her sixth home run of the year with one away to make it 3-0 before sophomores Jessica Torsiello (Morris Plains, N.J.) and Erin Morrissey (Commack, N.Y.) followed with back-to-back base hits to put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Lavallee laced a two-out double to center that brought in Torsiello.

Maloof cruised through the first five innings, as she allowed one hit and struck out 12. She retired seven of the first nine batters she faced on strikes, and did not allow a base runner until bottom of the fourth. After Christina Brazeau led off the inning with a single and the ensuing batter sacrificed her to second, Maloof settled in and struck out the final two hitters of the frame to keep the score at 4-0.

Southern New Hampshire was able to add to its advantage in the top of the fifth when Eicher drilled a two-out, two-run homer that made it 6-0. Maloof returned to the circle in the bottom of the inning and wrapped up her outing with three straight strikeouts before handing the ball over to Lavallee for the final two innings.

The rookie righthander sat down the Purple Knights in order in the bottom of the sixth before working around a leadoff single in the seventh to seal the win.

The Penmen resume play on Wednesday when they travel to Merrimack College for a 3 p.m. first pitch against the Warriors. Saint Michael's is also back in action on Wednesday when it heads to Franklin Pierce University for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader with the Ravens.

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