CLERMONT, Fla. – Red-shirt freshman Samantha Willman (Wheeler, Mich.) fired a two-hit shutout as Saginaw Valley State, playing its tenth game of the year, spoiled the season-opener for the Bentley University women's softball team, 7-0 Saturday afternoon at the National Training Center.

Willman, 2-0 on the year, struck out nine and walked just one in the complete-game effort. She allowed a fourth-inning single up the middle by grad student Laura McDonough (Braintree, Mass./ Braintree HS) and a seventh-inning single to right by senior third baseman Kelly Sanborn (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS).

Willman's teammates gave her the only runs she would need in the third inning. Left fielder Deanna Stickler-Gatson (Lansing, Mich.) led off with a triple to right and scored a batter later when shortstop Shelby Weeks (Warren, Mich.) singled to right center.  Later in the inning, a two-run single to left by catcher Amanda Best (Parker, Colo.) made it 3-0.

An inning later, the Cardinal turned three hits, a walk and an error into three more runs, two of which were unearned.

Saginaw Valley, 7-3 on the season, finished with nine hits off a pair of Bentley pitchers, including three by Weeks out of the leadoff position.

Bentley will be in action twice Sunday morning, taking on Mercy College at 9 am and Tiffin University at 11 am.