Stonehill Handles Bentley, 9-5

White extends hitting streak to 16 games, Boen two wins away from 400 in his career

Sophomore Dan Fratus went 4-for-5
with two runs scored.

WALTHAM, Mass. (April 11, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked fourth overall in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Poll, defeated Bentley University, 9-5, in Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) Northeast Division action on Wednesday at DeFelice Field.

Senior left-hander Eric Haughn (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke) improved to 4-1 overall on the season tossing six-and-two-thirds innings, yielding nine hits, five runs (three earned), two walks and four strikeouts. Freshman Armand Rugel (Middletown, R.I./Middletown) notched his first-career collegiate save on two-and-one-thirds innings pitched, two hits, no runs, no walks and two punchouts. With the win, Stonehill head coach Patrick Boen (Stonehill, '89, 15th season) is currently two wins shy for 400 in his coaching career (398-284-2).

Falcons starter JP Ashline (Clinton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough Reg.) suffered the loss in seven innings of work, 11 hits, seven runs (six earned), three walks and a game-high seven strikeouts.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the second inning, Stonehill responded with three runs on three hits and one error and never relinquished the lead. Senior designated hitter Steven Popp (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) knocked in a run with a single to right field and scored later in the inning along with sophomore Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) on a throwing error to take a 3-1 advantage.

The Skyhawks added two more runs in the third inning as senior first baseman Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional) ripped a RBI triple to the right centerfield gap driving in junior shortstop Michael Zeiner (Simsbury, Conn./Simsbury) who walked to lead off the frame. White also scored on an Ashline wild pitch for a 5-1 lead.

Bentley chipped away with one run in the bottom half of the frame on a run-producing single from Bryant Johnson (Hopedale, Mass./Milford) and a RBI groundout by senior Kevin Korwek (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) in the fifth inning.

Senior Michael White currently has a
16-game hitting streak going.

Junior James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) doubled up the Skyhawks gap to 6-3 in the sixth inning with a fielder's choice RBI bringing home Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) who pinch-ran for Michael Magnussen (Carver, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy).

In the seventh inning, Shepard increased Stonehill's lead with a RBI single to left field before Bentley answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame on two hits and one error. Popp added two insurance runs in the eighth inning on a base knock up the middle scoring sophomore second baseman Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) and White.

Fratus highlighted the Skyhawks double digit hits effort (16) going 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Popp went 2-for-3 with one run scored and three runs batted in, Magnussen was 3-for-3 and White had a 2-for-6 showing at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI.

Stonehill (22-10, 10-4 NE-10, 5-1 Northeast Division) travels to Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, April 14 for a NE-10 doubleheader with game one scheduled for noon. Bentley University (17-16, 9-5 NE-10, 2-4 Northeast Division) visits Franklin Pierce University for a NE-10 twinbill this Saturday at noon.