MANCHESTER, N.H. — Senior Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) threw 216 pitches and 139 strikes in 14.1 innings, but the Southern New Hampshire University softball team fell to Adelphi University in the opening round of the NCAA Division II East Super Regional, 5-3, in 15 innings. The Penmen move to 35-8 on the season, while the Panthers up their record to 29-20.

Southern New Hampshire must beat Adelphi at 2 p.m. on Saturday in order to force a winner-take-all third game at 4:30 p.m. The winner of the East Super Regional will advance to the College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Maloof shifted to 24-3 in the circle for the Penmen after striking out eight and allowing five runs on 10 hits. She kept the Panthers off the scoreboard in 12 of the game's 15 innings and held Adelphi to one hit through the first six innings of play.

After the two teams battled to a 3-3 deadlock through 14 innings, the Panthers were able to score a pair of runs in the top of the 15th. Jordan Catalano started the rally with a one-out walk before Victoria Wink was hit with a pitch to put runners on first and second. Brenna Martini followed by flaring a double just inside the right field line that scored Catalano and broke the stalemate. After Maloof was lifted for senior Rebecca Sherwood (Braintree, Mass.), Jaclyn Binstock lined a single to left that plated Wink and provided Adelphi with the final margin of victory.

Neither team was able to generate any offense through the early stages of the contest, but the Panthers were able to grab a 1-0 lead in the fourth. After Maloof held Adelphi without a hit during the first three frames, Catalano led off the top of the fourth with a solo shot to left.

Southern New Hampshire answered right back in the home half of the inning, as senior Holly Eicher (Stoneham, Mass.) connected on her fifth long ball of the season. After juniors Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass.) and Lindsey Bolduc (Londonderry, N.H.) led off with back-to-back singles, Eicher stepped in two batters later and delivered a three-run homer over the wall in left centerfield to stake the hosts to a 3-1 edge.

Maloof cruised through the fifth and sixth innings without allowing a hit before the Panthers tied the game at three in the top of the seventh. Brenna Martini reached on a one-out single before Jaclyn Binstock connected on a two-run home run to left that sent the game into extra innings.

Adelphi starter Lindsay Mapes worked the first 13 innings and surrendered three runs on nine hits. Mapes walked two and struck out two before handing the ball over to Jasmine Ennabe, who improved to 8-10 after allowing one hit in two innings.

Maloof and freshman Brittany Perdigao (Stoughton, Mass.) each registered two hits in six trips to the plate to lead the Southern New Hampshire offense. Martini finished 5-for-6 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored for the Panthers, while Binstock and Mary O'Reilly added a pair of hits apiece.

Friday marked the third consecutive extra-inning NCAA Regional contest for the Penmen. Southern New Hampshire has played a combined 34 innings in those games, as it topped LIU Post 2-1 in 10 innings in game one of the NCAA East II Regional final before taking a 3-2, nine-inning decision in game two to advance to the Super Regional.

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