MANCHESTER, N.H. — Senior Ali Maloof (Norwood, Mass.) turned in a one run, six strikeout performance in her 23rd complete game of the season, and second-seeded Southern New Hampshire University advanced to the championship round of the 2015 NCAA East 2 Regional with a 2-1 win over seventh-seeded Saint Anselm College on Saturday. The Penmen improve to 33-7, while the Hawks see their season end with a record of 23-14.

Southern New Hampshire advances to the championship round of the four-team, double elimination tournament against sixth-seeded LIU Post. The Penmen, 2-1 thus far in the regional, must beat the unbeaten Pioneers at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday to force a one-game, winner-take-all game at 4 p.m. LIU Post, 2-0 in the East 2 Regional, made its way to the championship round with wins over Queens College and SNHU.

Maloof upped her record to 22-2 in the circle, as she scattered six hits and walked just one batter in her second seven-inning outing of the day on Saturday.

After Saint Anselm went quietly in the top half of the first, Southern New Hampshire broke through with a run in the bottom of the inning. Junior Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine) led off the frame with a double to left center before Maloof reached on an infield single to put runners on the corner with nobody out. Junior Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass.) followed with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Hannan and gave the Penmen a 1-0 advantage.

Maloof and Hawks' starter Paige Cormier exchanged shutout innings through the third before Saint Anselm was able to knot the score in the fourth. After Pattie Turner singled and advanced to second on an error, Kasey Moran sacrificed her to third. Two batters later, Megan Murrell delivered an RBI double to center to make it 1-1.

In the fifth, the Penmen were able to score what proved to be the winning run on a safety squeeze. Freshman Brittany Perdigao (Stoughton, Mass.) led off with a single and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Katie Horiuchi (Livingston, N.J.). Hannan then reached on a Saint Anselm miscue to put runners on the corners with one away for Maloof. Maloof dropped down a perfectly placed bunt in front of the plate and after she was retired at first, Perdigao was able to score when Hannan got herself caught in a rundown between first and second. 

Maloof made the lead stand for the final two innings, as she breezed through the sixth with a pair of punch outs and worked around a leadoff single in the seventh to secure the victory.

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