Fratus and Karalis drive in four runs total, Duff and Rugel pitch four shutout innings

Senior Michael White went 2-for-4 out of the third spot in the lineup for the Skyhawks.

WALTHAM, Mass. (March 21, 2012) – Stonehill College, ranked sixth overall in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) East Regional Poll, claimed a 6-2 victory over Bentley University in non-conference action on Wednesday evening at DeFelice Field.

Senior left-hander Kyle Shepard (Boxford, Mass./Masconomet) notched his second victory of the season (2-0) on five innings pitched, allowing three hits, two runs (both earned), six walks and four strikeouts. The bullpen brass of freshmen Jim Duff (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) and Armand Rugel (Middletown, R.I./Middletown) combined to shutout the Falcons over the next four innings yielding just two hits. Duff gave up both hits and struck out five while Rugel struck out one batter. Both relief pitchers did not issue a walk in their four innings of work.

Senior Brian McLean (Medford, Mass./Cushing Academy) was handed the loss on two innings pitched, one hit, two runs (all earned), one walk and two strikeouts. Freshman Connor Root (Nashua, N.H./Nashua North) was a bright spot out of the pen as the right-hander shutout the Skyhawks over one-and-two-thirds innings pitched yielding one hit while striking out two.

Bryant Johnson (Hopedale, Mass./Milford) gave Bentley a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a RBI single to left field plating teammate Sean Keady (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) who walked to leadoff the frame.

Sophomore second baseman Dan Fratus (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth North) answered in the top of the second inning with a two-run shot to left field driving in senior designated hitter Steven Popp (Unionville, Conn./Farmington). Popp reached base on a leadoff walk.

Stonehill added one run in the fourth inning on a throwing error to make it 3-1 and increased its advantage to 5-1 on a two-run triple by sophomore Billy Karalis (Pawtucket, R.I./Bishop Feehan) scoring Fratus and senior first baseman Michael White (Lisbon, N.H./Lisbon Regional).

Bentley added a run in the bottom half of the inning on a wild pitch while the Skyhawks scratched home a run in the top of the ninth on a passed ball to round out the scoring.

Karalis led Stonehill's offense going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Fratus went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI's while White was 2-for-4 with one run scored. Junior James DeAlto (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y./Briarcliff) picked up the Skyhawks only other hit going 1-for-4 out of the leadoff spot in the lineup.

Stonehill (12-6, 0-0 NE-10, 0-0 Northeast Division) travels to Pace University on Saturday, March 24 in its NE-10 season opener for a doubleheader with game one scheduled for noon. Bentley (8-11, 0-0 NE-10, 0-0 Northeast Division) plays Adelphi University, on the road, in NE-10 action on Friday, March 23 at 3:30 p.m.