COLCHESTER, Vt. – Senior left fielder Shannon Connor (West Haven, Conn./West Haven HS) had four hits and three RBI, and sophomore lefty Kelsey Smith (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant HS) continued to excel  at both the plate and in the center circle, as Bentley University stretched its winning streak to five, 9-2 over St. Michael's College in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division softball Monday afternoon at Doc Jacobs Field.

Smith pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts while also driving in the Falcons' first two runs with a third-inning triple. During the win streak, she's 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings. In addition, she's batted .538 with six RBI and a 1.154 slugging percentage.

Smith's third-inning triple came after full-count walks to sophomore center fielder Kelsey Kennedy (Bedford, N.H./Bedford HS) and Connor.

Bentley broke the game open with five runs in the fourth inning. Junior first baseman Morgan Mazone (Selkirk, N.Y./Bethlehem Central HS) got it started with a single through the left side and went to second on the second of three sacrifice bunts by junior catcher Jill Raia (Montville, N.J./Morristown-Beard School). After a pop-up and a single by sophomore right fielder Chelsea Vena (Matawan, N.J./Saint John Vianney HS), the first of five two-out runs scored on a single down the left field line by Kennedy.

Connor made it 4-0 with another single down the line, and two more runs scored when Smith's fly ball to right was dropped. Later in the inning, an RBI single by junior shortstop Alex Borrelli (Salem, N.H./Central Catholic HS) extended the lead to 7-0.

Smith, 5-1 on the season, lost her no-hit and shutout bid with two outs in the fourth on an RBI single to right center by Purple Knight junior first baseman Judi Barcavage (Cold Spring, N.Y.). Sophomore shortstop Danielle Barbato (Hillsdale, N.Y.) also had an RBI single in the inning for St. Michael's (2-22, 2-12 NE-10 Northeast).

Bentley picked up two more runs in the seventh, both coming on Connor's opposite field triple down the left field line.

Connor's first career-four hit game lifted her average to a team-best .358 and moved her to seventh on Bentley's all-time hit list with 132.

The Falcons (10-14, 7-8 NE-10 Northeast) pounded out a season-high 14 hits, including two apiece by Borrelli and Mazone.

Bentley, after nine straight games on the road, is scheduled to host Merrimack in a single game Tuesday at 3:30 pm.