RINDGE , N.H. -- Franklin Pierce University, ranked 14th nationally in Division II, jumped on top with two runs in the first inning and added posted another two-run inning in the eighth en route to a 5-1 victory over visiting Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference baseball Sunday afternoon at Pappas Field.

The win was the eighth straight for the Ravens, who improved to 5-0 in the NE-10 and 19-4 overall. Bentley remains in search of its first conference win, falling to 0-3 NE-10 and 6-12 overall.

A rare walk by Bentley starter John Yohe (Merrick, N.Y./St. Dominic HS), only his fifth in 29 innings this spring, set the stage for the two Raven runs in the first. Senior right fielder Mike Munoz (Bronx, N.Y.) drew a free pass, moved to third on the first of two doubles by junior catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater, Mass.), and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior DH Derek Ingui (Sterling, Mass.). Freshman first baseman Zach Mathieu (Derry, N.H.) followed with an RBI single up the middle, Dowd scoring on the play.

Bentley's only run of the afternoon came in the second when senior right fielder Chris Hardy (Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) led off with a home run to right. It was his conference-leading eighth of the season (all coming in the last 12 games), and fourth in five games.

Franklin Pierce got the run back in the bottom of the same inning on an RBI single by junior second baseman Dan Hennigan (Downington, Pa.) following a single and stolen base by sophomore shortstop Dan Kemp (Sturbridge, Mass.).

With the score holding at 3-1, Bentley threatened in three different innings, but stranded two runners in the third, sixth and eighth innings.

A pair of Raven pitchers combined on a six-hitter. Senior lefty Brian Maloney (Brockton, Mass.), who improved to 5-1, yielded only two hits over the first six innings before giving way to freshman Kevin McGowan (Nashua, N.H.). He struck out six and allowed four hits in his three innings of work.

Hardy, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games, was the only Falcon with a multi-hit day as he also singled in the eighth.

Mathieu drove in two runs for Pierce and the Ravens received two hits apiece from a quartet of players, including Mathieu and Dowd.

The two teams will meet again on Wednesday at Bentley's DeFelice Field. That's a change from the original schedule as the sites for this two-game series were flip-flopped due to field conditions. 

At Rindge, N.H.

FRANKLIN PIERCE 5, BENTLEY 1

Bentley (6-12, 0-3)           010  000  000  --  1  6  2

Fr. Pierce (19-4, 5-0)        210  000  02x  --  5  11  2

B - John Yohe, Dan Murphy (6) and Greg Baggett; FP - Brian Maloney, Kevin McGowan (7) and Mike Dowd; W - Maloney (5-1); L - Yohe (2-2); SV - McGowan (1); HR - B, Chris Hardy (8); 2B - B, Dante Padovani, Mark Lane; FP, Dowd 2, Zack Mathieu.