BOX SCORE

When and Where: April 22, 2016 – Manchester, N.H. (SNHU Softball Field)
Score: Bentley University 1, Southern New Hampshire University 0
Records: SNHU 23-12 (15-6 Northeast-10), Bentley 14-19 (12-10 Northeast-10)

Sophomore Sarah Lavallee (Candia, N.H.) allowed one run in a complete-game effort, but Kelly Ferris tossed six shutout innings to guide Bentley University past Southern New Hampshire University, 1-0, in Northeast-10 Conference softball action at the SNHU Softball Field on Friday.

Lavallee fanned four and worked around 11 hits, while Ferris scattered eight hits and struck out one in six-plus innings of work. Kelsey Smith entered with one on in the seventh and retired the three batters she faced in order to earn her first save of the season.

The Falcons used a two-out rally in the fourth to plate the game's lone run. After the first two hitters of the inning were set down, Katelyn Lebreux and Jill Raia each singled to put runners on first and second. Stephanie McQuaid followed with a single to left that brought in Lebreux and made it 1-0.

The Penmen threatened in each of the next three innings, as they had a runner reach third base in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Senior Katie Caruso (Newton, Mass.) knocked a base hit through the left side with one away in the fourth before Lavallee singled two batters later to put runners on the corners with two outs. Ferris worked out of the jam by inducing a pop out to end the frame.

After junior Erin Morrissey (Commack, N.Y.) shot a base knock into center to lead off the fifth and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt, senior Mo Hannan (Scarborough, Maine) tagged a ball up the middle that looked destined for center field. Second baseman Catie Noons ranged to her right and made a backhanded snare to retire Hannan, before another groundout to second stranded Morrissey at third.

The sixth started with singles by freshman Erin Garczynski (Norwood, Mass.) and Caruso before a sacrifice bunt put them on second and third. Bentley caught a break on the next at-bat with a runner's interference call, and Ferris again wiggled out of trouble with a pop-out to extinguish the potential rally.

Morrissey led the Southern New Hampshire offense with three hits in three trips to the plate, and Caruso turned in a 2-for-3 evening. Jordan Ballantyne and Lebreux each finished 2-for-3 for the Falcons, while Noons added a pair of hits in four at-bats. 

Notes:
- The Penmen were shutout for the third time this season and the first time at home.
- Southern New Hampshire fell to Bentley for the first time since April 19, 2014, when the Falcons took the opening game of a doubleheader by a score of 7-4.

What's Next:
The Penmen return to action on Saturday (April 23) when they host Bentley in a senior day twin bill set to begin at noon.

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