WORCESTER, Mass. – Sophomore Abigail Larson (Marlborough, Mass.) hit a two-run double and also helped throw out the potential tying run at home to end the game in leading the Assumption University softball team to a 3-2 victory over Bentley in the opening round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament on Tuesday afternoon. With the victory, Assumption advanced to the six-team championship round at Adelphi.

The game for the most part featured a classic pitcher's duel between Elise Pereira of Bentley and senior Erin Barry (Braintree, Mass.) of Assumption. The game was scoreless through five frames, as Barry retired the first 13 Falcon batters she faced and Pereira only allowed three hits. Bentley was able to score first in the top of the sixth when Katie Welch singled to right field to plate Sam Petow, who hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt earlier in the frame.

However, the Greyhounds answered right back in the bottom of the sixth inning in which the Falcons elected to pull Pereira and send Dahlia Fink to the circle instead. Junior Jordan Dwyer (Coventry, R.I.) first came within 60 feet of tying the game by slashing a leadoff single up the middle, being sacrificed over to second, and reaching third on a wild pitch.

Sophomore Corin Mahan (Abington, Mass.) then hit a hard single off the third baseman's glove to score Dwyer, and classmate Summer Sheerin (Bridgewater, Mass.) kept the inning alive with two outs by finding a hole in right center and advancing on the throw home. With runners at second and third, Larson next sliced a single that just stayed fair down the third base line to plate Mahan for a go-ahead run and Sheerin for an insurance marker. Fink ended the inning with a strikeout, but not before damage had been done.

Bentley (24-19), however, stormed back in the top of the seventh and its last opportunity. Ella Hillier drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third on a Kaileen Cain single through the right side, and then came home on a fielder's choice groundout.

After Assumption's Lauren Geremia (North Providence, R.I.) and Sheerin teamed up for another putout on a fielder's choice play to second base, Bentley had one last chance to at least tie the game. Petow came through by hitting a double to deep left field, and the Falcons stayed aggressive by trying to score Katie Amato from first. However, Larson tracked the ball down and fired it in to Sheerin at short, and the sophomore then found senior catcher Alison Ainley (Rehoboth, Mass.) to apply the tag on Amato in time to end the game.

Barry picked up the thrilling victory for Assumption and improved to 10-11 by arguably throwing her best game of the season to date. She allowed four hits and two runs while striking out two and issuing just one walk. Fink, who spoiled an excellent start by Pereira, was charged with the loss and ended the season with a 6-5 record. She gave up four hits and all three runs in just one inning of work.

Assumption (18-26) will next trek to Adelphi for the championship round where it will first face Franklin Pierce on Thursday at noon.