SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Saint Michael's College softball team lost both ends of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader on Sunday at American International College, 7-1 and 8-1, at Groff Field. The Purple Knights are now 1-14 overall and 1-6 in the league, while the Yellow Jackets improved to 7-14 and 4-5.

The Purple and Gold stayed close until late in both contests, which were moved from Colchester, Vt., due to unplayable field conditions. Saint Michael's was the home team throughout, including as first-year Rachel Tshonas (Ellington, Conn./Ellington) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning of the opener before yielding four earned runs on six hits in 5.1 frames. Senior Bethany Falls (Essex Junction, Vt./Essex) doubled, stole a base and scored, classmate Amanda Brigante (Colchester, Vt./Colchester) walked twice, and junior Sarah Murray (Wallington, Conn./Sheehan) had an RBI.

Sophomore Jorrdin Miller (Garfield, N.J./Immaculate Conception) was 2-for-4 with two runs for AIC, junior Lauren Tosi (Newington, Conn./Newington) went 2-for-3, and senior Kelsey Malloy (Clarksburg, Mass./Drury/New Haven) allowed one run on one hit in six innings.

Neither team picked up a hit until the latter stages of the game. Saint Michael's had its best early threat when Brigante walked with one out in the first, and AIC left the bases loaded in the second. Falls led off the fifth with a double to end Malloy's no-hit bid before stealing third and scoring on Murray's sacrifice fly.

Miller returned the favor in the sixth, leading off with a single for her team's first hit, and the Yellow Jackets eventually scored six runs on five hits in the frame. Sophomore Ainslee Penfield (Greenfield, Mass./Northfield Mount Hermon) knocked a two-run single before first-year Keymell Cartwright (Johnstown, Ohio/Johnstown) had a two-run triple, both as pinch hitters. Tosi added a two-out RBI knock in the seventh.

In game two, Murray went 2-for-3 with her first home run of the year, and Brigante and sophomore Judi Barcavage (Haldane, N.Y./Cold Spring) added hits. Senior Lea Gipson (Bridport, Vt./Middlebury Union) took the loss after yielding six earned runs in seven innings over two stints in the circle.

Junior Marlee Haigh (Kingston, Mass./Silver Lake Regional) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for AIC, and Penfield hit a two-run, pinch-hit home run. First-year Alyssa Camargo (Covina, Calif./Saint Lucy's Priory) tossed six innings of three-hit, shutout ball to earn the victory.

The Yellow Jackets used four walks to plate one run in the second inning before Haigh's two-out RBI single in the third made it 2-0. A sacrifice fly accounted for the third run in the fourth inning, and Barcavage and Murray put together back-to-back singles with one out in a scoreless fifth for the Purple Knights' best threat. AIC broke the game open with five runs on four hits in the seventh, sparked by Penfield's home run. Murray homered with two down in the home half.

The Purple Knights are slated to being their home schedule on Tuesday with a 3 p.m. doubleheader against Southern New Hampshire University, which received a vote toward this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) national poll.