WALTHAM, Mass. -- Senior right-hander Robert Nixon (Welland, Ont.) pitched a rain-shortened five-hit shutout and right fielder Omar Velazquez (Astoria, N.Y.) singled and scored twice as Adelphi University topped Bentley University, 4-0, in the first game of a scheduled Northeast-10 Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday at DeFelice Field.

The contest was called in the seventh due to lightning and rain, and the second game was postponed until Sunday. The two clubs will now play a doubleheader beginning at 12 noon, with the second game considered non-conference.

Nixon won for the ninth time in ten decisions and lowered his ERA to a microscopic 1.24. In his six-plus innings, he struck out five, walked one and allowed only one runner to reach third base.  Bentley had runners at second and third with two outs in the second, but Nixon got a grounder to short to end the inning.

Velasquez opened the game by hitting the game's first pitch for a single to left. He stole second (the first of his four thefts in the contest), moved to third on a fly ball to center and scored the game's first run on a single up the middle by junior left fielder Justin Farnum (Glendale, N.Y.).

Two innings later, Velasquez again led off with a single to left and stole second. This time, he scored on a double to left center by senior catcher Richard McCarren (Seaford, N.Y.).

The Panthers, who took over second place in the NE-10 with the win, added single runs to their lead in the fifth and sixth innings. Senior center fielder Trevor Thorstensen (Holbrook, N.Y.) scored on a bases-loaded, two-out, infield single in the fifth and freshman third baseman Richard Mejia (Jackson, N.J.) scored on a wild pitch in the sixth after opening the inning with a triple.

Senior right fielder Chris Hardy (Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS) had two singles for Bentley, which dropped to 14-28 overall and 8-17 NE-10.

At Waltham

ADELPHI 4, BENTLEY 0 (7 innings)

Adelphi (30-11-2, 18-6-1)               101  011  0  --  4  8  0

Bentley (14-28, 8-17)                      000  000  0  --  0  5  1

A - Robert Nixon and Richard McCarren; B - Greg Ciavarella, Blaine McLean (7) and Greg Baggett; W - Nixon (9-1); L - Ciavarella (1-3); 3B - A, Richard Mejia; 2B - A, McCarren.