WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Despite overcoming a 4-0 deficit in its second game of the day, the Bentley University softball team came up short twice on Monday at the Foundation Academy with the Falcons falling to Concordia-St. Paul, 3-1, and Northern State, 8-7. The latter contest took eight innings.

Against Northern, after trailing 4-0, Bentley struck for two runs in the fourth and four in the fifth to grab a 6-4 lead.

Sophomore center fielder Kelsey Kennedy (Bedford, N.H./Bedford HS) and senior left fielder Shannon Connor (West Haven, Conn./West Haven HS) opened the fourth on with singles. A grounder to third by junior shortstop Alex Borrelli (Salem, N.H./Central Catholic HS) brought in Kennedy with the Falcons' first run and Connor scored on an error.

A two-run single to left by Connor tied the game at 4-4, and consecutive doubles by junior first baseman Morgan Mazone (Selkirk, N.Y./Bethlehem Central HS) and Borrelli produced a two-run lead.

The 6-4 score held up until there were two outs in the top of the seventh.   After a single by Katelynn Dilts (Underwood, Iowa) and a double by Eryn Yancy (Eden Prairie, Minn.) made it a one-run game, a single up the middle by sophomore Rachel Albright (Pasadena, Calif.) was misplayed, allowing pinch-runner Michaela Liebl (West Fargo, N.D.) to score the tying run.

Bentley threatened in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases with one out, but was unable to plate the winning run.

In the eighth, which began with a runner on second due to the international tie-breaker rule, the Huskies put up another two-run inning. Both scored on a single to center by junior Kalie Maidan (Rapid City, S.D.) with the second unearned as the result of a catcher's interference call.

Kennedy had an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, bringing the Falcons within one. A passed ball gave Bentley two runners in scoring position, but Albright got a game-ending strikeout to nail down the victory for Northern.

Bentley's 12 hits included three by Kennedy and two apiece by Connor and sophomore right fielder Chelsea Vena (Matawan, N.J./Saint John Vianney HS). Kennedy and Connor both scored twice, and both Connor and Borrelli had two RBI.

Maidan powered the offense for Northern (7-5), finishing with two hits and five RBI.

Against Concordia-St. Paul, Bentley claimed a 1-0 lead in the first. Kennedy hit a one-out triple down the left field line and scored on a misplayed sacrifice fly by Connor.

The 4-6 Golden Bears did all their damage in the third inning, parlaying five hits into four runs. Junior Jamie Fleischhacker (Maplewood, Minn.) had a two-run single and freshman Haley Schanks (North St. Paul, Minn.) drove in a pair with a triple down the right field line.

Bentley, 1-4 halfway through their 10-game trip to central Florida, will play just once on Tuesday, a 9 am contest with Ferris State.