Lea Thompson
Lea Thompson

Slavin, Thompson Shine as Bentley Splits Twinbill at Southern Connecticut State

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Sophomore shortstop Julie Slavin (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill HS) had six hits and freshman designated player/left fielder Lea Thompson (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull HS) drove in six runs as Bentley University split a Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader with Southern Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon at Pelz Field.

Bentley (4-10, 2-1 NE10) erupted for seven runs in the top of the ninth to take a wild opener 12-8 and Southern Connecticut (3-7, 1-1) came back to prevail in the nightcap, 6-4. That snapped a three-game winning streak for the Falcons.

In game one, after both teams scored three times in the seventh inning, Bentley amassed seven hits and took advantage of two Owl errors to take control of the game in the ninth. Freshman catcher Lindsey Allen (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Technical HS) led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an error with freshman left fielder Courtney Woronka (Windham, N.H./Central Catholic HS) getting credit for the RBI.

Later in the inning, senior second baseman Catie Noons (North Dighton, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth HS) had a two-run single, Noons scored the fourth run on a strikeout, Slavin had an RBI single and Thompson hit a two-run homer to center.

Southern came back to score three times in the bottom of the ninth before sophomore Kayleigh

Fitzpatrick (East Hampstead, N.H./Timberlane Reg. HS) was able to get the game's final two outs.

Bentley's three-run seventh included an RBI single by Allen, a bases-loaded walk to Woronka and an RBI single by sophomore right fielder Sami Palazzola (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley School).

The Falcons totaled 12 hits, including a 4-for-6 showing by Slavin, who finished with two runs scored and two RBI. Allen and Palazzola each had two hits, and Woronka was among the four Falcons with two RBI. Freshman Ashley Keegan (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic HS) picked up her second win despite allowing seven hits in her 2.1 innings of relief work.

Bentley opened a 4-3 third-inning lead in game two on the strength of a pair of two-baggers by Thompson. She had a two-run double in the first inning and did the same in the third inning.

Southern regained the lead in the bottom of the third on a two-run single by sophomore third baseman Sara Buscetto (Waterford, Conn.) and added an insurance run in the sixth. Meanwhile, freshman Jazmyn Martinez (Middletown, N.Y.) blanked the Falcons on two hits over the final four innings after giving up six hits during the first three innings.

Thompson finished three-for-four while both Slavin and sophomore center fielder Juliana Romeo (Greenville, R.I./Smithfield HS) had two hits for the Falcons.

Bentley will be remain in Connecticut for a Sunday doubleheader at the University of New Haven. The start time for that one has been moved an hour earlier to 11 am.