GARDEN CITY, N.Y. -- Graduate Kayla Daly (Babylon, N.Y.) and freshman Olivia Kennedy (Chenango Forks, N.Y.) combined on a six hitter, allowing no earned runs, and the Cougars defense turned a rare triple play, but the Cougars bats were held in check by #2 Bentley (29-14-1) in the first round of the NCAA Division II East 1 Regional at Janet L. Finke Field at Adelphi University.

Daly went the first three, permitting two unearned runs in a second-inning Falcons rally. The Cougars managed just five hits, and had their best chance in the top of the sixth when they strung together consecutive singles by sophomore RF Jessica Klein (Trevose, Pa.), senior 2B Courtney Grundhauser (Easton, Pa.) and senior 1B Maya Rodriguez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) to load the bases with one out. But a double play killed the rally and the Cougars wouldn't threaten again.

The Cougars turned this amazing triple play to get out a fifth inning, second and third, no out situation. Sophomore SS Ashleigh Tavaska (Jackson, N.J.) fielded a grounder, tossed to Rodgriguez at first to record the first out, who threw to freshman 3B Alexa Lee (Blackwood, N.J.), who threw home to freshman catcher Delaney Ridgell (Mt. Airy, Md.) who tagged out the runner coming home. Ridgell then alertly fired to Grundhauser, who tagged the runner trying to retreat to second for the third out.

Klein had two hits and a stolen base for the third-seeded Cougars (35-18), who will now face #4 St. Thomas Aquinas in the elimination bracket game on Friday at 12:30. The winner of that game takes on the loser of the 10 a.m. winner's bracket contest between #1 Adelphi and #2 Bentley.

Should the Cougars win both games Friday, they would take on the winner of Friday's 10 a.m. game on Saturday, needing to win two games to advance to the Super Regional.