Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Sabrina Grizzaffi
Sabrina Grizzaffi

2 Runs in 7th Gives Bentley 2-1 Game 2 Win & Sweep of New Haven

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Freshman Taylor O'Brien (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columnia HS) and sophomore shortstop Sabrina Grizzaffi (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield HS) scored in the bottom of the seventh to give Bentley University a 2-1 walk-off win and a sweep of its Northeast-10 Conference softball doubleheader with the University of New Haven Sunday afternoon at Bentley. In the opener, the Falcons used a pair of three-run innings to prevail 6-1.

Bentley, with its second sweep of the weekend, reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2014 and moved into a tie for seventh in the NE10. Both the Falcons and New Haven are 10-10 conference with Bentley 20-16 overall and the Chargers 16-18.

With her team down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Bentley graduate third baseman Kaileen Cain (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge HS) led off with a walk. After O'Brien pinch ran, Grizzaffi singled to center and both runners moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt.

Junior center fielder Sam Petow (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury HS) grounded to short. The throw went home and while it was off the mark, O'Brien likely would have beat it anyways. When the ball went awry, Grizzaffi followed her across the plate with the game-winner.

Prior to that, the only run of game two was scored in the fifth. A fly ball to right center was misplayed into a three-base error and senior shortstop Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y.) scored on a grounder to short.

Sophomore Payton Doiron (Beacon Falls, Conn./St. Joseph HS) earned the win after a scoreless inning of relief. Senior Elise Pereira (Plainville/King Philip Reg. HS) pitched the first six for the Falcons, limited the Chargers to five hits and struck out five.

Bentley's seven hits included three apiece by Grizzaffi and sophomore right fielder Kylee Amato (Bergenfield, N.J./Acad. of the Holy Angels).

Amato and Grizzaffi were among six Falcons who had two hits in the opener. That supported the pitching of freshmen Kim Saunders (Stamford, Conn./Stamford HS) and Dahlia Fink (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Notre Dame HS). Saunders earned her first career win after picking up two saves Saturday against Southern Connecticut, and Fink retired nine of the ten batters she faced to earn the save.

 Bentley's three-run second included an RBI triple by senior catcher Ella Hillier (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin HS) and RBI singles from Petow and Amato.

The Falcons added to their run total with three in the sixth, an inning ignited by a Cain double. Petow had an RBI single and Amato an RBI double.

The other Bentley players with two hits were freshman left fielder Jordan Krause (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro HS), Cain, Hillier and Petow.

Bentley will begin the final week of the regular season Tuesday with a noon doubleheader at Le Moyne College.