CLERMONT, Fla. – A line-drive walk-off single to left center by junior third baseman Dalia Jones (Jacksonville, Fla.) brought in Dakota Villella from third with the winning run, giving Nova Southeastern University a 3-2 eight-inning win over Bentley University in non-conference softball Sunday afternoon at the National Training Center.

It was the second one-run loss of the day for the Falcons, who dropped a 6-5 decision to St. Thomas Aquinas College in its earlier game.

The international tiebreaker was in effect to start the eighth inning and the Sharks immediately sacrificed Villella to third. After a hit batter and stolen base put two in scoring position, Jones delivered her game-winning hit.

In the top of the inning, Bentley had the same situation with a runner on third and one out, but was unable to capitalize.

Bentley had battled back to tie after giving up single runs in the second and fourth innings. In the fifth, sophomore third baseman Stephanie McQuaid (Windham, N.H./Austin Prep HS) singled, one of her three hits in the game, and after an error, scored on an RBI single by senior shortstop Alex Borrelli (Salem, N.H./Central Catholic HS).

Those two teamed up again in the seventh with Borrelli again knocking in McQuaid with a single.

Against St. Thomas Aquinas, all six runs allowed by the Falcons were unearned as the result of four errors. Despite the fielding issues, Bentley was even with the Spartans heading into the seventh inning. After a leadoff walk and an error, the Falcons' second miscue of the inning allowed senior Samantha McDonald (New City, N.Y.) to score what proved to be the winning run.

Bentley had struck for two runs in the previous half-inning to knot the score at five apiece. Senior first baseman Morgan Mazone (Selkirk, N.Y./Bethlehem Central HS) homered and junior left fielder Kelsey Kennedy (Bedford, N.H./Bedford HS) had an RBI double, scoring Borrelli.

Borrelli had three of Bentley's 12 hits and both Mazone and junior center fielder Chelsea Vena (Matawan, N.J./Saint John Vianney HS) had two.

Bentley, 0-4 after two days in Florida, will continue the trip with games against Bridgeport (5 pm) and Minot State (7 pm)  Monday night.