SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior left-hander Kelsey Smith (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant HS) pitched a five-hitter and drove in a run during a three-run eighth inning as the Bentley University softball team won an extra inning game for the second straight day.

This one, a 3-1 victory, gave the Falcons a split of their Northeast-10 Conference cross-divisional doubleheader against Le Moyne College Sunday at the Niland Athletic Complex. Le Moyne took game one, 2-1.

With the international tiebreaker in use and the game still scoreless, Bentley began the eighth with senior catcher Natalie Tarantino (Arlington, Mass./Arlington HS) on second. Junior third baseman Katelyn Lebreux (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford HS) attempted to sacrifice her to third, but the throw was muffed. As a result, Tarantino scored and the Falcons had another runner in scoring position.

Sophomore second baseman Catie Noons (North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth HS) doubled down the left field line to score Lebreux with the Falcons' second run. Later in the inning, Smith made it 3-0 with an RBI single to left.

Le Moyne (14-7) got one run back in the bottom half of the inning, but Smith got a game-ending fly ball to strand the potential tying runners on first and second.

Smith, who walked four and struck out three while yielding five hits, had two of her team's seven hits.

In the opener, Bentley outhit the Dolphins 11-5 but could never overcome a two-run, first-inning home run by junior third baseman Kelly Mascari (Syracuse, N.Y.). 

The Falcons got one run back in the sixth when senior first baseman Morgan Mazone (Selkirk, N.Y./Bethlehem Central HS) hit a home run to left to lead off the inning, her second roundtripper of the season.

Senior right-hander Toni Secreti (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) improved to 7-3 on the season for Le Moyne, pitching the first 5.1 innings, before giving way to sophomore Alexis Eastman (Endicott, N.Y.) for the final four outs.

Senior lefty Kelly Ferris (Seymour, Conn./Seymour HS) took the loss despite pitching a five-hitter and striking out six.

Junior center fielder Chelsea Vena (Matawan, N.J./Saint John Vianney) had three hits for Bentley and junior designated player Michelle DeVito (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore HS) had two.

Bentley, 4-9 overall and 2-1 against conference opponents, is scheduled to begin its home schedule with a three-game series against St. Michael's Friday and Saturday.