Garden City, N.Y. - In a close call, the No. 12 and top-seeded Adelphi University softball team earned a return trip to the NCAA Division II Super Regionals with a 4-3 win over fourth-seeded Bentley University Saturday in the East 1 Regional final at Janet L. Ficke Field.

The Panthers (46-6) are set to welcome back a familiar face in No. 2 seed Wilmington University next Thursday and Friday for a best-of-three series. Last spring, Adelphi bested Wilmington in three games to win the program's first NCAA East Region title since 2016.

After throwing a two-hit complete-game shutout against the Falcons yesterday, Lindsey Hibbs ran into trouble in today's outing.

The bats staked the NE10 Pitcher of the Year to an early 4-0 lead though. Zee Zee Shreter and Jordyn Pasqueralli led off the Adelphi third with back-to-back base hits to put a pair of runners in scoring position in a scoreless game.

Courtney Wengryn then drove in Shreter with an infield single, before NE10 Rookie of the Year Brianna Fischer fought off an 0-2 offering and unloaded on the following pitch to left-center for a two-run shot.

"Bri has been playing more loose and free, in knowing that she's going to be at first base and in the lineup. She gets in there, has a good time, and I hope she keeps that going through the Supers," said Head Coach Carla Campagna.

Bentley didn't go down quietly. Claire Fon inherited a one-out jam in the third and went back to the circle for her first fresh inning in the fourth with a 4-2 lead.

The Falcons threatened in each inning down the stretch, but Fon persevered. In her 4.1 innings of work, the 2022 NE10 Pitcher of the Year stranded five Falcons on base.

In the seventh, with her team clinging to a 4-3 lead, Fon worked around a lead-off double to freeze Bentley's Kaylee Mankins and induce a game-ending groundout from Sabrina Grizzaffi with the tying run on base.

"We know what it feels like to be under pressure. If we don't do it in the field, we do it in the box," said Fon. "It feels great (to be going back to Supers). It's my senior year, so one last ride. I'm very confident in our girls and I know we can (get back to the World Series)."

The top-half of the Adelphi batting order combined to hit 8-for-20 (.400) with three RBIs and four runs scored in the effort.

More information will be released on the NCAA Division II East Super Regional when it becomes available on AUPanthers.com.