WALTHAM, Mass. – A bases-loaded walk-off single by freshman shortstop Shannon Connor (West Haven, Conn./West Haven HS) in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Bentley University a 6-5 win over Le Moyne College in the opening game of a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader Friday afternoon at Bentley.

Le Moyne came back to earn a split of the twinbill, using a two-run homer by senior Barb Shea (Clifton Park, N.Y.) to prevail 4-2.

In the opener, Bentley's seventh-inning rally began with a one-out walk by senior Megan Blier (Wells, Maine/Wells HS). Sophomore first baseman Samantha Tierney (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketchum HS) followed with a single to right, and after a strikeout, sophomore Chelsea Tamuk (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Earl L. Vandermeulen HS) beat out an infield single to load the bases.

Connor lined a single off the first baseman's glove, driving in Blier with the game-winning run.

Bentley started fast in game one, erupting for four runs in the bottom of the first. Sophomore third baseman Kelly Sanborn (Hopkinton/Hopkinton HS) hit a bases-loaded triple to center, and later in the inning, junior Carly Taitz (Blue Point, N.Y./Bayport-Blue Point HS) delivered an RBI single.

Le Moyne struck for two runs in the fifth, cutting the Falcon advantage to one at 5-4, and picked up an unearned run in the sixth to draw even.

Tierney had three of Bentley's nine hits and the Falcons also received two apiece from Connor and Taitz, who picked up her second RBI of the game in the third inning with a triple. Taitz, a pitcher who had only one career at bat before the day started, had three hits in the doubleheader. Freshman Caitlin Betz (Randolph, N.J./Randolph HS) earned the win with 2.2 innings of quality relief, in which time she struck out five.

Le Moyne had 12 hits in the opener, including three by freshman second baseman Kristie Capuano (Smithtown, N.Y.), but stranded 10 on base.

In game two, with the score even at 1-1, Shea slammed her first home run of the season over the left field fence, with senior left fielder Kristin Brown (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) scoring in front of her. Brown tripled and scored in the fifth, making it a 4-1 Dolphin advantage.

Bentley got one back in the bottom of the sixth, a solo home run by sophomore Jackie Gauthier (Braintree/Braintree HS).

Sophomore lefty Sarah Harrison (Cobleskill, N.Y.), the losing pitcher in game one despite seven strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief, went the distance for the win. She fanned six and allowed eight hits in the nightcap as Le Moyne improved to 15-21 overall and 9-7 NE-10.

Gauthier had three extra base hits for the Falcons, with two doubles in addition to the homer, and junior second baseman Laura McDonough (Braintree/Braintree HS) was 2-for-3.

Bentley, 5-19 overall and 3-13 NE-10, is back at home Saturday for a noon doubleheader against The College of Saint Rose.