JAN PHYL VILLAGE, Fla. – The Bentley University softball team made it five wins in the last six games with a 1-0 walk-off win over Salem University (W.V). Wednesday afternoon at the Auburndale Complex during the Spring Games.

Senior right fielder Sami Palazzolo (East Williston, N.Y./Wheatley School) scored the game's only run in the bottom of the seventh as the Falcons bounced back from a 6-3 loss to the University of Sioux Falls earlier in the day.

Palazzolo and freshman shortstop Katherine Noftall (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich HS) reached on errors and senior third baseman Kaileigh Serafini (Schenectady, N.Y./Schenectady HS) singled to load the bases with one out. Senior center fielder Juliana Romeo (Greenville, R.I./Smithfield HS) put down a bunt and Palazzolo beat the throw home for the victory.

Senior Kayleigh Fitzpatrick (East Hampstead, N.H./Timberland HS) and junior Ashley Keegan (Pittsfield, Mass./Taconic HS) combined on the six-hit shutout. Fitzpatrick pitched the first five innings, allowing five hits and striking out one. Keegan earned the win with two innings of one-hit relief.

Bentley's six hits included two from junior catcher Lindsey Allen (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Tech HS).

Sioux Falls scored all six of its runs in the second with the inning featuring a pair of two-run homers, from junior third baseman Cassie Van Beek (Rock Valley, Iowa) and senior center fielder Frankie Mickelson (Rochester, Minn.). Four of the runs were unearned as the result of a Falcon error.

Bentley scored twice in the sixth to reduce the Sioux Falls lead to 6-3. Senior first baseman Gabby Casalino (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hallow Hills West HS) had an RBI single and sophomore catcher Ella Hillier (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin HS) scored on error.

The Falcons threatened in the seventh, but stranded runners on second and third.

Noftall and graduate shortstop Julianne Slavin (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill HS) each had two hits for Bentley.

The Falcons, 6-6, will be back in action Thursday with games against St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Cloud State, beginning at 10 am at the Diamond Plex in Winter Haven.