Erica Thibodeau
Erica Thibodeau

Walk-Off by McDevitt Gives Bentley Game 2 Win and Split of Doubleheader with Assumption

WALTHAM, Mass. – A walk-off triple to center by freshman Halley McDevitt (San Ramon, Calif./ San Ramon Valley HS) in the bottom of the eighth scored classmate Natalie Tarantino (Arlington/ Arlington HS) with the winning run as Bentley University posted a 5-4 walk-off win over Assumption College in the second half of a non-divisional Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Bentley.

The victory capped a 3-1 weekend for the Falcons and countered a 5-4 Assumption win in the first game of the twinbill.

Senior catcher Erica Thibodeau (Cohoes, N.Y./Shaker HS) led off the eighth with a single to center, her second hit of the contest and fourth of the day. Tarantino pinch-ran for her and she scored all the way from first on McDevitt's first career three-bagger.

Bentley (8-16) had taken a 2-1 lead in the fourth when McDevitt singled and scored on a double to left by junior third baseman Kelly Sanborn (Hopkinton/Hopkinton HS). A two-run double by Thibodeau an inning later pushed the Falcon advantage to 4-1.

Assumption evened the score in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by junior center fielder Tanya Robidoux (Hooksett, N.H.), an RBI triple by junior right fielder Nikki Boris (Gardner) and an RBI single from freshman designated player Kayli Moniz (Fairhaven).

McDevitt, Thibodeau and sophomore left fielder Shannon Connor (West Haven, Conn./West Haven HS) each had two hits for Bentley, and freshmen Kelly Ferris (Seymour, Conn./Seymour HS) was credited with her first career win after 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

In game one, Assumption (9-17) jumped out to a 5-0 lead midway through the game and held on for the victory after the Falcons cut the differential to one with two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.

A Greyhound error led to the two runs in the fourth, and Bentley's two runs in the fifth scored on another error and a passed ball.

Bentley threatened in both the sixth, on a lead-off triple by Thibodeau, and seventh, with runners on first and second with one out, but was unable to punch across the tying run.

Five different players scored for the Hounds, who outhit the Falcons 12-5. Thibodeau was the only Bentley player to have more than one, finishing two-for-three with a double, triple and a run scored.

Bentley completes a ten-game homestand Tuesday with a 3 pm doubleheader against Saint Anselm.