NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Junior Haley Currie (Burlington) pitched a seven-hit shutout in the opener and drove in a run during a five-run fourth in the nightcap as Merrimack College swept Bentley University, 4-0 and 5-1, in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division softball Tuesday afternoon at the Warrior Diamond.

The double losses dropped Bentley from first to third in the Northeast Division with the Falcons falling to 10-12 overall and 6-3 in divisional play. Merrimack improved to 15-19 overall and 6-5 Northeast.

Bentley, which left 17 on base during the doubleheader, was led by sophomore right fielder Jordan Ballantyne (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./Arlington HS), who was four for seven. Included were three hits in game two.

Merrimack grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the opener and picked up a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Warriors had ten hits, including two apiece from freshman left fielder Hannah Johnson (Middleboro), freshman shortstop Nicole Nanof (Goffstown, N.H.) and junior right fielder Mariah Tenney (Winchendon).

Currie, who had two walks and no strikeouts, stranded the bases loaded twice, in the second and again in the ninth. Senior lefty Kelly Ferris (Seymour, Conn./Seymour HS) went the distance for Bentley, allowing ten hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Sophomore second baseman Catie Noons (North Dighton/Dighton-Rehoboth HS) and senior first baseman Morgan Mazone (Selkirk, N.Y./Bethlehem Central HS) each had two hits for Bentley.

The Falcons' only run of the afternoon was scored in the third inning of game two. Junior third baseman Katelyn Lebreux (Biddeford, Maine/Biddeford HS) reached on an error and was replaced on base when Noons reached on a fielder's choice.  Noons took third on a double by Ballantyne and scored on a single through the left side by senior shortstop Alex Borrelli (Salem, N.H./Central Catholic HS).

Merrimack erupted for five runs in the fourth inning, including a two-run single to left by Johnson. She later scored her team's fifth run and finished two-for-four at the plate.

Bentley's six hits included three by Ballantyne and two by Borrelli. Ferris lowered her ERA to 1.76 with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Sophomore righty Megan Cook (Bellingham) earned the game two win for the Warriors, striking out three along the way.

Bentley is back on the road Wednesday for a 3 pm doubleheader at Assumption College.