Skyhawks Falter Late In 5-2 Loss

Waltham, Mass. - Clinging to a 2-1lead, Stonehill watched Bentley score four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and eventually take a 5-2 win over the visiting Skyhawks on Sunday afternoon at DeFelice Field.

The win gave the Falcons two of the three games in the series, improving their record to 16-22 (11-12 Northeast-10) overall and to within a half-game of Stonehill (18-17, 10-10 Northeast-10) for the sixth place - and the final playoff berth - in the conference's postseason tournament.

Stonehill scored both of its runs in the top of the second. Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn.) came around to score when Mitch Davis (Bow, N.H.) grounded into a double play. Matt Orr (Wilton, Conn.), who reached on a walk, scored on Javier Guzman's (San Juan, P.R.) double to center field.

Behind solid starting pitching from Matt Giusti (Hopkinton, Mass.), the Bentley could only muster one run through the first six innings, but things changed in the seventh. After a leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt and a fly out, Garrett Stenhouse smacked an RBI single then moved all the way to third on a wild throw home. The bases were eventually loaded and a wild pitch scored Stenhouse with the go-ahead run, and a two-run double from Brett Damato capped the frame.

Bentley junior Brett Fistes picked up the win and classmate Jarrod Marchesi collected the save.

Giusti (6-3) suffers the loss for the Skyhawks after going eight innings and giving up 10 hits (all singles) and five earned runs.

Bruno, Ryan Healey (Lynn, Mass.) and Dave Fradette (Goffstown, N.H.) all had a pair of hits for the purple and white.

Stonehill returns to action on Monday when it hosts Merrimack at 3:30 p.m.