MANCHESTER, N.H. – Despite giving up five hits in her two innings of action, Bentley University sophomore Kelly Ferris (Seymour, Conn./Seymour HS) came up big when it counted to preserve a 3-2 game one win over Saint Anselm College in the opener of a Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division softball doubleheader Monday afternoon at South Athletic Field

Saint Anselm, which leads the Northeast Division by percentage points over Southern New Hampshire, came back to gain a split, scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to claim a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

Ferris, who recorded her sixth save to extend both the Bentley season and career records, used two fly ball outs to escape a second-and-third, one-out jam in the sixth.

In the seventh, after a lead-off home run by Saint Anselm junior Hannah Byrne (Lynn) made it a one-run game, Saint Anselm used a double and single to put runners on second and third with no outs, with its three, four and five hitters coming up. Again, Ferris shut the door, with a strikeout, a foul out and another strikeout securing secure the win for sophomore Halley McDevitt (San Ramon, Calif./ San Ramon Valley HS).

Bentley grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Senior center fielder Jackie Gauthier (Braintree, Mass./Braintree HS) singled and scored the first run on an error. Later in the inning, after an obstruction call left the bases loaded with one out, senior third baseman Kelly Sanborn (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS) scored on a ground out by junior left fielder Shannon Connor (West Haven, Conn./West Haven HS).

The Falcons added a run in the third inning. Senior first baseman Samantha Tierney (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./Roy C. Ketchum HS), who recently became the program's all-time leader in putouts, singled to right and scored on a single up the middle by Sanborn.

McDevitt, who won her fourth game in five days, scattered three hits and struck out one during her five innings of action. Bentley's seven hits included two apiece by Gauthier and grad student Laura McDonough (Braintree, Mass./Braintree HS).

Game two was a back-and-forth contest that saw Saint Anselm score single runs in six of the seven innings. Bentley overcame deficits of 1-0 and 3-2, and held leads of 2-1 and 5-4 before the Hawks pulled out the victory.

In the decisive seventh, Saint Anselm scored the winning run without the ball leaving the infield. Senior Monique Gauthier (Canton, Conn.) led off with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a bunt single and scored the walk-off on another wild pitch. An inning before, a hit batter led to the Saint Anselm scoring the tying run on a single by second baseman Julie LeClair (Taunton, Mass.).

Bentley had grabbed the lead with two runs in the fifth. Connor led off with a single up the middle, advanced to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch, and scored on Gauthier's single to center. Sanborn followed with a double to right, temporarily giving the Falcons a 5-4 lead.

Bentley's eight hits included two apiece by Kennedy, Sanborn (2 RBI) and sophomore catcher Natalie Tarantino (Arlington/Arlington HS). Both of Tarantino's were for extra bases, an RBI double in the second and a triple in fifth.

The split left Bentley at 17-15 overall and 9-7 in the Northeast. The Falcons are back in action Tuesday with a 3 pm home game against Assumption College.