WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Senior pitcher Elise Pereira (Plainville, Mass./King Philip Reg. HS) pitched a three-hitter and classmate Ella Hillier (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin HS) drove in three runs as the Bentley University softball team posted a 7-1 win over Slippery Rock University in its first of two games Sunday at the Diamondplex.

In the second game of the day, Shepherd University outhit the Falcons 12-4 en route to a 6-1 victory.

Against Slippery Rock, the Falcons jumped out to a fast start with four runs in the top of the first inning. With the bases loaded, Hillier doubled to center with two scoring on the play. The next two runs scored on ground ball outs by sophomore shortstop Sabrina Grizzaffi (Ridgefield, Conn./ Ridgefield HS) and freshman designated player Katie Welch (Monroe, Conn./Masuk HS).

Bentley made it a 6-0 game in the fourth inning. Following a single and an error, sophomore right fielder Kylee Amato (Bergenfield, N.J./Acad. of the Holy Angels) drove in the fifth run with a grounder to short and freshman left fielder Jordan Krause (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro HS) made it 6-0 with an RBI single to center.

Krause, who was 4-for-4, scored Bentley's final run in the seventh on a single to center by Hilliard.

Junior first baseman Kaylee Mankins (North Attleboro, Mass./Bishop Feehan HS) joined Krause and Hilliard on the list of Falcons with multiple hits as she had a single and a double.

Pereira, in her seven innings of work, walked one and struck out seven.

Grizzaffi accounted for Bentley's only run in the Shepherd game, driving in junior center fielder Sam Petow (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) with a double to center.

The Rams (4-5) took the lead on a two-run double by junior catcher Alex Mantz (Edinburg, Va.) in the third. They added three runs in the fourth and closed out the scoring with another run in the sixth.

Mantz's two RBI were matched by senior third baseman/pitcher Nicole Purtell (Centreville, Va.), and the two were among five Shepherd players with two hits.

Bentley, 3-5, will play both Caldwell University and Purdue-Northwest on Monday, beginning at 12:30 pm.