ALBANY, N.Y. -- A 14-hit attack by the Bentley University offense and solid pitching over the first eight innings from sophomore Greg Ciavarella (Merrick, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial HS) resulted in the righthander's first career win and a Falcon split of its Northeast-10 Conference baseball doubleheader with The College of Saint Rose Saturday afternoon at Belizzi Field.

Bentley (12-24, 6-13 NE-10) took the nightcap, 9-4, after Saint Rose (15-24, 8-14 NE-10) prevailed in game one, 6-4.

The top four in the order were instrumental in the game two victory as freshman center fielder Sean Keady (Norwood, Mass./Norwood HS), senior third baseman Ross Curley (Lexington, Mass./Lexington HS), senior right fielder Chris Hardy (Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) and junior catcher Greg Baggett (East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater HS) were a combined 8-for-20 with seven rBI and six runs scored.

With the game tied at 2-2, Bentley took the lead in the fifth with an unearned run. Curley reached on an error, advanced to third on another miscue and scored when sophomore Logan Gillis (Merrimack, N.H./Lawrence Academy) grounded into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded.

The Falcons made it a 6-2 game in the sixth as Keady delivered an RBI single to left and Curley followed with a two-run double to right center.  Another three-run inning in the eighth featured a two-run single up the middle by Hardy.

Curley and junior shortstop Vinnie Eruzione (Winthrop, Mass./Winthrop HS) both finished with three hits and two runs scored, and both Keady and Hardy provided two hits. Baggett staked the Falcons to an early lead, hitting a two-run homer in the top of the first. It was his sixth of the year.

Ciavarella, in his lengthiest start of his college career, limited the Golden Knights to two unearned runs through the first eight before running into trouble in the ninth. For the game, he was charged with eight hits and four runs in eight-plus innings, and had four strikeouts before being relieved by sophomore JP Ashline (Clinton, Mass./Acton-Boxboro Reg. HS).

As was the case in the nightcap, Bentley opened game one with two runs in the top of the first. Keady doubled, stole third and scored the first run when the catcher threw the ball away.  The theft was his 24th of the season and he had another in the second game to move to within two of the Bentley single season record. Later in the inning, Baggett reached on a fielder's choice and eventually scored on a balk.

With his team down 2-1 in the third, Saint Rose senior first baseman Grant Ford (Waterford, Pa.) hit a two-run single to give the Golden Knights a lead they would not relinquish.

Two Saint Rose errors in the ninth enabled Bentley to score once and have the bases loaded with two outs. However, freshman Ryan Harper (Niskayuna, N.Y.) was able to retire Keady for the game's final out and his eighth save.

Senior right fielder Garret Keenan (Massapequa, N.Y.) was one of four Saint Rose players to have two hits in the game, and he also drive in three runs. Junior catcher Kevin Korwek (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand HS) had two of Bentley's six hits.   

Bentley's busy stretch (seven games in five days) continues Sunday when the Falcons will host the University of New Haven in a noon doubleheader.

At Albany, N.Y.

GAME 1: SAINT ROSE 6, BENTLEY 4

Bentley                200  000  101  --  4  6  0

Saint Rose           102  100  20x  --  6  11  3

B - Nathan Witkowski and Kevin Korwek; SR - Nick Polsinelli, Ryan Harper (9) and Nick Dowen; W - Polsinelli (2-1); L - Witkowski (2-5); SV - Harper (8); HR - SR, Garret Keenan (2); 2B - B, Sean Keady; SR, Caleb Gleason.

GAME 2: BENTLEY 9, SAINT ROSE 4

Bentley (12-24, 6-13)                      200  013  030  --  8  14  1

Saint Rose (15-24, 8-14)                 002  000  002  --  4  8   4

B - Greg Ciavarella, JP Ashline (9) and Greg Baggett; SR - Alex Ferenti, Jordan Zareski (8) and A.J. Capone; W - Ciavarella (1-2); L - Ferenti (4-2); HR - B, Baggett (6); 2B - B, Ross Curley, Mark Lane; SR, Ryan Price, Jesse Burba.