MANCHESTER, N.H. — Junior Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass.) went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in, and senior Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) struck out seven in a complete-game effort as No. 23 Southern New Hampshire University advanced to the 2015 Northeast-10 Conference softball tournament championship with an 8-3 win over Pace University on Friday. The Penmen improve to 30-6, while the Setters fall to 25-15.

Southern New Hampshire will face Adelphi University at 1 p.m. in the NE-10 title game at Penmen Field after the Panthers posted a 2-0 victory over Stonehill College in Friday's second semifinal. With a victory on Saturday, the Penmen would earn the Conference's automatic bid into the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Southern New Hampshire makes its second consecutive appearance in the Northeast-10 softball tournament championship game after winning its first conference tournament title a season ago. The Penmen have also eclipsed the 30-win plateau for the second straight year and are one win shy of tying the program record for wins in a season.

Maloof upped her record to 19-1 in the circle after scattering seven hits and working around six walks in her 19th complete game of the season. She also extended her hitting streak to 22 games after a 2-for-4 performance at the plate that included a pair of runs scored. 

After a scoreless first inning, Southern New Hampshire jumped ahead with a two-run second. Junior Lindsey Bolduc (Londonderry, N.H.) led off the frame with a double to right center before advancing to third on a single by freshman Sarah Lavallee (Candia, N.H.). Bolduc crossed the plate when Pace starter Kaitlynn Nelson uncorked a wild pitch to make it 1-0, and Lavallee scored on a two-out single by freshman Brittany Perdigao (Stoughton, Mass.) that pushed the Penmen ahead by a pair. 

Southern New Hampshire increased its lead to five with three runs in the home half of the third. Junior Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine) started the inning with a double before Maloof followed with a single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Caruso stepped in next and tagged an RBI single that brought in Hannan with the game's third run, and Bolduc gave the hosts a 4-0 edge when she ripped a single through the left side that drove in Maloof. After Lavallee walked to load the bases with nobody out, senior Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass.) delivered a run-scoring single to make it 5-0 through three. 

The Setters were able to scratch across a run in the top of the fifth before the Penmen answered with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Jessica Torsiello (Morris Plains, N.J.) walked to begin the inning before Perdigao sacrificed her to second. Hannan reached on an error and advanced to second on the play while Torsiello moved up to third. After Maloof got on by way of a fielder's choice, Caruso launched a two-run double to right center that gave SNHU a 7-1 lead. Two batters later, Lavallee was the beneficiary of Pace's second defensive miscue of the inning and Caruso scored to make it 8-1. The Setters would attempt to mount a comeback in the seventh, as they added two runs before Maloof settled in and propelled the Penmen to Saturday's championship game.

Bolduc finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while also scoring a run in the victory. Hannan went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and upped her own hitting streak to eight straight games.

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