WALTHAM, Mass. – Bella Burke's first career home run was a walk-off shot that allowed the Bentley softball team to split a doubleheader against Southern New Hampshire Wednesday afternoon.
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Bentley 3, Southern N.H. 2
With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 2-2 game,
Bella Burke worked the count full. The sophomore then smacked the payoff pitch to the opposite field for her first collegiate home run and a Bentley win.
In addition to her first career home run, Burke finished with her first career four-hit game (4-for-4).
The Falcons (16-28, 11-17 NE10) were in a 2-0 hole entering the bottom of the fifth inning, but Bentley tied the game heading into the sixth inning.
Alexa Gross led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, and she moved up to second base when
Ella Bunovsky got a base hit. Burke drove in a run by hitting a single, and Bentley scored the tying run when SNHU committed a fielding error off the bat of
Michelle Diaz.
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Bentley 4, Southern N.H. 5
The Falcons trailed 4-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, but they entered the fourth inning down by just a run.
Breelin McDougal led off the third inning with a single, and she quickly moved into scoring position by stealing second base.
Jess Morrison put Bentley on the board with a double to left field.
The next batter,
Emma Callahan, drove Morrison home with a single to center field. Callahan moved into scoring position when
Bella Burke hit a single, and
Michelle Diaz plated Callahan with a base hit.
Bentley tied the game, 4-4, in the sixth inning.
Carly DiMento and
Becca Harris hit consecutive one-out singles. DiMento tried to score when
Hailey Feiler hit a single, but she was called out on a close play at the plate.
Harris moved up to third on that play, and she scored the game-tying run when McDougal reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman.
Bentley next hosts Southern Connecticut for four games, April 25-26.
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