ALBANY, N.Y. -- Returning to the Capital District for the first time as a collegian, sophomore second baseman Erica Thibodeau (Cohoes, N.Y./Shaker HS) had three hits and three RBI to lead Bentley University to a 4-2 win over The College of Saint Rose in the first game of a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader at Cathy Haker Field Sunday afternoon.

Thibodeau had her fourth hit of the day in the nightcap, but the Falcons came up short in that one, falling to the Golden Knights, 3-2, in the season finale for both teams.

In game one, with the score tied at 1-1, freshman designated player Chelsea Tamuk (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Earl F. Vandermeulen HS) led off the sixth with a single to right. Two outs and a wild pitch later, Tamuk scored the go-ahead run on a muffed throw. Another error gave Bentley two runners in scoring position, and Thibodeau drove in both with a double to left center.

Thibodeau's first RBI of the game came in the first inning. Freshman center fielder Jackie Gauthier (Braintree, Mass./Braintree HS) led off the game with a double to right, took third on a throwing error and scored on Thibodeau's ground ball to second. The double was the first of two in the game for Gauthier.

Junior Tara Fogarty (Chester, N.Y./John S. Burke Catholic HS) went the distance for her 14th win of the season, a total exceeded only once in the program's history, and struck out seven to break the Bentley single season record. She also had three in game two and finished with 127, six more than the former standard.

Bentley struck first in the nightcap, scoring a single run in the second inning. Freshman third baseman Kelly Sanborn (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in junior catcher Megan Blier (Wells, Maine/Wells HS). Blier had led off the inning with a single to left.

Saint Rose (9-28-1, 5-21-1 NE-10) did all its damage in the third inning, scoring three times. Junior third baseman Jessica Butterbrodt (Conesus, N.Y.) had the big blow, a two-run double to right center that drove in the Golden Knights' second and third runs.

An RBI single by freshman third baseman Samantha Tierney (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketcham HS) cut the Bentley deficit to 3-2, but that proved to be the Falcons' final run of 2011.

Bentley's nine hits included three, in as many at bats, by sophomore shortstop Stephanie Kasson (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt HS). The left-handed slap hitter finished the year with a .362 average, 46 hits, 25 runs scored, 12 stolen bases and a .386 on base percentage, all team-bests.

Bentley finished the year with records of 15-25 overall and 8-22 in the Northeast-10.

At Albany, N.Y.

GAME 1: BENTLEY 4, SAINT ROSE 2

Bentley                100  003  0  --  4  9  0

Saint Rose           000  011  0  --  2  9  3

B - Tara Fogarty and Megan Blier; SR - Sarah Arbogast, Nicole Traylor (6) and Rachel Reed; W - Fogarty (14-14); L - Arbogast (1-9); 2B - B, Jackie Gauthier 2, Erica Thibodeau, Blier; SR, Reed 2

GAME 2: SAINT ROSE 3, BENTLEY 2

Bentley (15-25, 8-22)                      010  001  0  --  2  9  0

Saint Rose (9-28-1, 5-21-1)           003  000  x  --  3  6  0

B - Deanna Rousseau, Tara Fogarty (3) and Megan Blier; SR - Nicole Traylor and Rachel Reed; W - Traylor (6-8); L - Rousseau (0-7); 2B - SR, Jessica Butterbrodt.