Bentley Holds Off Late Stonehill Rally, 13-8


Junior Kyle Shepard was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, his first career home run and two RBI for the Skyhawks. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) 

Falcons answer Wednesday's 1-0 setback to Skyhawks with big offensive day

EASTON, Mass. (April 7, 2011) – Bentley University banged out 17 hits, including nine for extra bases, and held off a late rally to claim a 13-8 victory over Stonehill College, ranked fifth in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II East Regional poll, in Northeast-10 Conference baseball action at Lou Gorman Field this afternoon.

Senior Ross Curley (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) led Bentley's offensive attack by going 3-for-6 with a double, home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Junior Kevin Korwek (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) hit 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, while sophomore Logan Gillis (Merrimack, N.H./Lawrence Academy) batted 2-for-5 with a double and four RBI. Junior Greg Baggett (East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater) finished 3-for-5 with a double and three runs scored. All nine Falcons in the starting lineup had a hit, with five collecting multiple, including three with three hit days.

Sophomore righthander JP Ashline (Clinton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) picked up the win (2-2) in relief for Bentley, allowing six earned runs on five hits with six strikeouts and six walks over 5.2 innings. Junior lefthander Blaine McLean (Medford, Mass./Cushing Academy) started for the Falcons and surrendered two earned runs on three hits and a walk with no strikeouts in 1.2 innings.


Junior Michael White was 3-for-3 with two doubles and RBI at the plate, but dropped his first decision on the mound. 

Junior Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) helped lead the Stonehill offense as he hit 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a home run and two RBI. Classmate Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, run scored and RBI. Senior Scott Hackett (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) went 1-for-5 with an RBI and run scored.

White also took his first loss of the season (3-1) on the mound for Stonehill, surrendering four earned runs on five hits and two walks and a strikeout in two thirds of an inning. It ended a streak of seven straight starts, dating back to last season, in which he had not allowed more than a run.

Bentley, held to just three hits in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Stonehill in Waltham, bettered that total by two in the first inning alone as the Falcons jumped on top with a four run first. Freshman Sean Keady (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) and Curley led the game off with back to back doubles to open the scoring, followed by an RBI single by Korwek. Gillis added an RBI double and sophomore Lamarre Rey (Lynn, Mass./Pingree School) drew a bases loaded walk in the frame.

Bentley added a run in the second as Curley led off with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Gillis. Stonehill got on the board in the home half of the frame when Shepard posted an RBI double and sophomore James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) drove in a run when he reached on a fielder's choice.

Bentley extended its lead to 9-2 with a four run fifth, keyed by a three-run homer from Curley with one out. Stonehill chipped away with single runs in the fifth, as White doubled and scored on a wild pitch, and seventh, but the Falcons ran their lead to 11-4 with a pair in the eighth. Gillis had an RBI single and Baggett, who doubled, scored on a ground out.

Stonehill wouldn't go quietly, plating four in the bottom of the eighth to draw within 11-8. Shepard sparked the inning with his first career home run with one out. Hackett drew a bases loaded walk and White drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before McHugh added a walk with the bases loaded as well.

Bentley escaped the inning without further damage and added two insurance runs in the ninth to seal the victory on a two-run single by Korwek.

Stonehill (20-8, 5-3 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it visits Assumption College for a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader at noon. The Skyhawks return to Gorman Field on Sunday to host the University of Massachusetts Lowell for a key NE-10 clash at 1 p.m. Bentley (8-15, 2-6 NE-10) visits Southern Connecticut State University for a doubleheader on Saturday at noon.