WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior shortstop Nicole Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I.) had five hits, including three triples, and scored four runs as Saint Anselm College swept Bentley University, 9-8 in eight innings and 4-3, in college softball action Tuesday afternoon at Bentley. The opener was considered a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division game while the nightcap was non-conference.

Bentley had the lead in both contests, but in the end, suffered its seventh and eighth one-run losses of the season. The Falcons erupted for five first-inning runs in the opener and took a 7-4 lead into the seventh, and they were up 3-2 in the second game after putting up three in the bottom of the third.

In game one, Saint Anselm grabbed a one-run lead with four, all unearned due to a pair of errors, in the top of the seventh. A sacrifice fly by junior designated player Gina Treglia (Fairfield, Conn.) evened the score at seven apiece, and another sac fly, this one by junior first baseman Olivia Story (Middleton), put the Hawks up one.

Bentley battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman shortstop Alex Borrelli (Salem, N.H./Central Catholic HS) led off with a single, moved up on a sacrifice and a ground out, and scored the equalizer on an infield single by junior first baseman Samantha Tierney (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketchum HS).

It didn't stay tied for long as Boucher hit a one-out triple in the top of the eighth and scored on a single to right by senior left fielder Lauren Galavotti (Marion).

Bentley pounded out a season-high 13 hits in the game, including three by junior left fielder Shannon Connor (West Haven, Conn./West Haven HS). Connor and junior center fielder Jackie Gauthier (Braintree/Braintree HS) each scored twice, and both freshman Halley McDevitt (San Ramon, Calif./San Ramon Valley HS) and junior Chelsea Tamuk (Port Jefferson, N.Y./Earl F. Vandermeulen HS) had two hits and two RBI.

Galavotti was 3-for-4 with three RBI for Saint Anselm (12-13, 6-0 NE-10 NE), and Boucher scored three times.

In game two, Bentley answered Saint Anselm's fast start (two runs in the first) with three in the third. Tamuk ignited the inning with a single, and the frame features an RBI triple by Gauthier and an RBI double by Borrelli. Those proved to be the Falcons' only three hits of the contest off sophomore lefty Paige Cormier (Rochester, N.H.), who retired the final 12 batters she faced.

After a walk and a single set the table for Saint Anselm in the fourth, Boucher put her team back in front, slamming her third triple of the doubleheader.

Bentley, 8-18 overall and 1-6 NE-10 NE, will play a divisional doubleheader at Merrimack College Wednesday afternoon, with the first pitch scheduled for 3 pm.