WALTHAM, Mass. -- Freshman third baseman Dante Padovani (Lynnfield/Lynnfield HS) came in from third on a wild pitch, giving Bentley University a 2-1 10-inning win in game two and a split of its Northeast-10 Conference baseball doubleheader with American International College Saturday afternoon at DeFelice Field. AIC held on for an 8-7 win in the opening game of the twinbill.

After Bentley escaped the top of the tenth unscathed despite two hits and a walk by AIC, Padovani led off the bottom of the first extra frame with a walk. Starting pitcher John Shivo (Ayer) was lifted in favor of closer Sean Stevenson (Holyoke), but the senior reliever couldn't find the plate after picking up his fifth save of the year earlier in the day.

Stevenson threw a pair of wild pitches before walking sophomore shortstop Vinnie Eruzione (Winthrop/Winthrop HS), giving the Falcons runners on the corners with no outs. Yet another wild pitch enabled Padovani to race home with the winning run.

In the top of the 10th, AIC had two on and no outs following a single through the left side by freshman catcher Dan Fenton (Agawam) and a walk to junior center fielder Mike Tranghese (Springfield). After a strikeout, pinch-runner Sean McClelland (Chicopee) was picked off by junior reliever and eventual winning pitcher Matt Sherman (Longmeadow/Longmeadow HS) for the second out. Following a single that put runners on the corners, Sherman got a pop-up to second to end the inning.

AIC had taken a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single to right by sophomore shortstop Chris Amate (Hanover).

Bentley countered an inning later with a double to center by sophomore DH Greg Baggett (East Bridgewater/East Bridgewater HS) driving in sophomore second baseman Logan Gillis (Merrimack, N.H./Lawrence Academy), who had singled.

Baggett and freshman center fielder Sean Keady (Norwood/Norwood HS) both had two hits for Bentley, which received a strong pitching performance from sophomore righty John Yohe (Merrick, N.Y./St. Dominic HS). He pitched the first nine innings, gave up only six singles and struck out eight. The first five innings all ended with Yohe strikeouts, and he fanned the side in the eighth inning.

AIC's eight hits included three by Amare and two by Tranghese.

The opening game saw the visiting Yellow Jackets (10-18, 4-10 NE-10) jump out to a 4-0 lead with two runs in both the first and second innings. Senior first baseman Dillon Fontaine (Amenia, N.Y.) had a two-run single in the first and freshman third baseman Cam MacDonald (Weymouth) did the same in the second.

Bentley spent the game battling from behind, closing to within one at 8-7 with two runs in the seventh. Baggett had an RBI double to score Gillis with the Falcons' sixth run, and Baggett came in on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game.

Senior right fielder Chris Hardy (Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) led off the ninth with a bad-hop double off Stevenson, but never left second base as Stevenson preserved the win with two grounds sandwiched around a strikeout.

Gillis and Baggett each had two hits and two runs scored for Bentley, and both Baggett and Padovani had a pair of RBI. MacDonald paced the 14-hit AIC attack with three hits, three runs scored and three RBI.

Bentley (9-19, 3-9 NE-10) will play a 1 pm game at Merrimack College on Sunday.

At Waltham

GAME 1: AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 8, BENTLEY 7

AIC              220  120  100  --  8  14  5

Bentley      002  210  200  --  7  10  0

AIC - Daniel Guerrero, Zach Bunszell (5), Chris Goonan (7), Sean Stevenson (9) and Anthony Arrichiello; B - Nathan Witkowski, Blaine McLean (4), Jeff Croteau (6) and Greg Baggett; W - Goonan (2-0); L - Witkowski (2-4); SV - Stevenson (5); 2B - M, Cam MacDonald, Chris Amate, Paul Maza, Dave Clark; B, Chris Hardy, Baggett.

GAME 2: BENTLEY 2, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL 1

AIC (10-18, 4-10)              001  000  000  0  --  1  8  1

Berntley (9-19, 3-9)          000  100  000  1  --  2  8  1

AIC - John Shivo, Sean Stevenson (10) and Dan Fenton, Anthony Arrichiello (10); B - John Yohe, Matt Sherman (10) and Kevin Korwek; W - Sherman (1-2); L - Shivo (1-2); 2B - B, Ross Curley, Greg Baggett.