Kelsey Kennedy
Kelsey Kennedy

Kennedy Shines as Bentley Splits in Florida

CLERMONT, Fla. – Senior left fielder Kelsey Kennedy (Bedford, N.H./Bedford HS) had six hits and four runs while helping the Bentley University split two non-conference contests during THE Spring Games at Legends Way Wednesday.

Kennedy, who raised her batting average on its southern trip to .500, was 4-for-4 with two runs scored in a 7-4 morning loss to Minnesota State-Moorhead. She also had a single and two runs scored in a 4-3 eight-inning victory over Concordia College (N.Y.), the fourth win in the last five games for the Falcons.

With the game even at 3-3, Kennedy started the top of the eighth on second base as the international tiebreaker came into effect. She was sacrificed to third and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly hit by freshman first baseman Kayleigh Fitzpatrick (East Hampstead, N.H./Timberlane Reg. HS).

Singles by freshman right fielder Sami Palazzolo (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley School) and Kennedy, followed by a Clipper error, gave Bentley a 1-0 lead in the first inning.  Two innings later, the Falcons made it a 3-0 game with Kennedy singling home freshman left fielder Stacey Korotsky (Raynham, Mass./ Bridgewater-Raynham Reg. HS) and Kennedy scoring on a grounder to third hit by Fitzpatrick.

 Concordia matched Bentley's two-run third and tied the contest up with another run in the fourth. In that inning, sophomore catcher Tori Tansley (Old Forge, Pa.) led off with a double, was sacrificed to third and scored on a single by junior second baseman Cassidy Gorgo (Millville, N.J.).

Graduate student Hannah King (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk HS) went the distance in the center circle for Bentley to record her third straight victory. She allowed nine hits, walked three and struck out ten.

In the second game of the game, Minnesota State-Moorhead jumped on top with four runs in the top of the second and never relinquished the lead to halt a three-game Bentley winning streak.

Kennedy singled through the left side in the first inning, doubled to left in the third, led off the fifth with a single to left and singled up the middle in the sixth.

Bentley, 4-3, will continue its trip Thursday afternoon with games in Leesburg against Bridgeport and Winona State.