WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior right-hander Morgan Perry (Bethany, Conn.) struck out 17 during a five-hit game one shutout and sophomore righty McKenna Smith (Old Town, Maine) followed with six-hit shutout in the nightcap as Saint Anselm College, the 16th-ranked team in Division II, blanked Bentley University twice, 3-0 and 7-0, in Northeast-10 Conference softball on the Bentley softball team Saturday afternoon.

Saint Anselm used the outstanding pitching to improve to 5-1 overall and 3-1 NE10. Bentley, which was playing at home for the first time since the 2019 season, fell to 2-4 overall and in conference action.

All but four of the outs Perry recorded in the first game came via the strikeout as she fanned the side in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Her teammates gave her the only run she would need in the fourth. Junior shortstop Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) led off with a triple and scored on a single to right by senior third baseman Lauren Washburn (Carmichael, Calif.).

In the fifth, freshman Brianna Belisle (South Burlington, Vt.), running for Klaiber, scored on a Washburn base hit, making it 2-0. The Hawks' third run was unearned in the sixth.

Klaiber finished the game 3-for-4, and Washburn has two hits.

Junior Elise Periera (Plainville/King Philip Reg. HS) started for Bentley and allowed one hit and four runs in her four innings of picture.

Bentley loaded the bases twice in game two but each time, Smith escaped trouble each time with an inning-ended strikeout. 

Washburn led the Hawk offense with four hits, including an RBI single in the third and an RBI double in the fifth.

Senior third baseman Lindsay Allen (Worcester/Worcester Tech HS) had two of Bentley's six hits.

The two teams will play again Monday at Bentley with the first pitch set for 3 pm.