LOWELL, Mass. -- A two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth by freshman right fielder Dylan Flynn (Upton) plated junior shortstop Cam Kneeland (Rowley) with the go-ahead run, propelling UMass-Lowell to a 4-3 win over Bentley University in Northeast-10 baseball at LeLacheur Park Wednesday afternoon. It was the conference opener for both clubs and the Falcons' first contest since returning from Florida.

After Bentley had battled back from an early 3-0 deficit to forge a tie, senior left fielder Sean Burns (Colchester, Vt.) led off the River Hawk eighth with a single to center. Kneeland replaced him on the bases via a fielder's choice, and advanced to third on a single to right by sophomore third baseman James Katsiroubas (Milton) and the second fielder's choice of the inning.

Flynn took a 1-2 pitch to right, with Kneeland scoring for the second time in the game.

Bentley, down 3-0 after two, got on the scoreboard with two runs in the sixth. Junior shortstop Vinnie Eruzione (Winthrop/Winthrop HS) ignited the rally with a one-out single to right, and moved to second on a grounder to first.  Sophomore second baseman Logan Gillis (Merrimack, N.H./Lawrence Academy) doubled to right, scoring Eruzione, and came home himself one pitch later on a single to left by senior right fielder Chris Hardy (Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS).  It was Hardy's team-leading 16th RBI of the spring.

In the seventh, a two-out single by junior left fielder Mark Lane (Tyngsboro/Tyngsboro HS) drove in sophomore first baseman Lamarre Rey (Lynn/Pingree School) with the equalizer, making it a 3-3 game. Rey had got on with a one-out single and moved to second on a grounder to short.

After tying the game, Bentley had a couple chances, but three UMass-Lowell pitchers kept the Falcons off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Freshman righty and starter Mike Calzetta (Lawrence) left Rey on second to end the seventh, sophomore righty Taylor Robinson (Haverhill) escaped the eighth unscathed despite giving up two singles, and junior righty Dallas Nunes (Easton) came on for the ninth, yielding only a two-out single while recording his third save.

UMass-Lowell, off to a 14-2 start this season, built its early lead with RBI singles by sophomore shortstop James Katsiroubas (Milton) and junior catcher Rob Noe (Lynnfield) in the first and a sac fly from junior center fielder Matt Jacobs (Hudson) in the second.

Gillis, junior DH Greg Baggett (East Bridgewater/East Bridgewater HS) and Lane each had two hits for Bentley.

Junior lefty Blaine McLean (Medford/Cushing Academy) started for Bentley and allowed eight hits and three runs in seven innings of work. He struck out six before giving way to sophomore JP Ashline (Clinton/Acton-Boxboro Reg. HS) one batter into the eighth.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again Thursday at Bentley's DeFelice Field, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:30 pm.

At Lowell

UMASS-LOWELL 4, BENTLEY 3

Bentley (6-10, 0-1)                 000  002  100  --  3  9  0

UMass-Lowell (14-2,1-0)      210  000  01x  --  4  10  0

B - Blaine McLean, JP Ashline (8) and Kevin Korwek; UML - Mike Calzetta, Taylor Robinson (8), Dallas Nunes (9) and Rob Noe; W - Robinson (3-0); L - McLean (1-1);  SV - Nunes (3); 2B - B, Logan Gillis; UML, Cam Kneeland, Mark Sanborn.