Senior Angelo Bruno was 2-for-5 with a two-run double to key the Skyhawks five-run sixth. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

Falcons score three (two unearned) in the tenth to cap comeback win

Senior Chris Hardy (Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) led Bentley as he hit 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Sean Keady (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) batted 2-for-5 with a stolen base, RBI and three runs scored, while junior Vinnie Eruzione (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop) went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.

Freshman Nathan Witkowski (Melrose, Mass./Melrose) earned the win in relief for Bentley, allowing two unearned runs on five hits with a strikeout and no walks over five innings. Junior Dan Murphy (Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade) started for the Falcons and yielded three runs, one earned, on five hits with a strikeout and two walks in five innings.

Senior Angelo Bruno (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) led Stonehill by hitting 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Junior Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) was 2-for-5 with a triple and run scored, while senior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Sophomore Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) chipped in by going 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Junior lefthander Michael White had another strong start, but didn't figure in the decision.

Senior Dan Corrigan (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth) took the loss for Stonehill, allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits in an inning of relief. Junior lefthander Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) was strong on the mound for the Skyhawks, allowing just an earned run on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks over six innings. He had a streak of 25 innings without allowing a run halted when Bentley opened the scoring with a single run in the sixth. White also batted 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Stonehill had an immediate answer to Bentley's run in the top of the sixth with five runs in the home half, taking advantage of three Falcon errors. Bruno ripped a two-run double after Hackett and White reached on a single and error, respectively. Sophomore James DeAlto (Briarcliff, N.Y./Briarcliff Manor) drove in a run on a ground out before freshman William Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) legged out an RBI triple. Zeiner followed with an RBI single.

Bentley got three runs right back in the seventh on Hardy's three-run home run. The Falcons forced extra innings in the top of the ninth with the benefit off just one hit, scoring the tying run when junior Greg Baggett (East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater) drew a bases loaded walk.

Bentley used a pair of Stonehill errors and two hits to score the deciding runs in the tenth. Junior Mark Lane (Tyngsboro, Mass./Tyngsboro) reached on an error to start the inning and was sacrificed to second. Keady followed with an RBI single up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Eruzione singled through the left side and came all the way around to score, along with Keady, on an error on the play. Witkowski retired the side in order in the bottom of the tenth to clinch the victory.

Stonehill (7-3, 0-0 NE-10) is back in action tomorrow when it faces Rollins at 6 p.m. The Skyhawks first home game is scheduled for Friday, March 25, when they host Post University for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Bentley (4-6, 0-0 NE-10) faces the University of Bridgeport tomorrow at noon.