TAMPA, Fla. – Bob DeFelice's 50th season as the only head baseball coach in Bentley University got underway Friday night with a pair of University of Tampa pitchers combining on a two-hitter in non-conference action. Ironically, the score was 5-0.

Senior righty David Lebron (Homestead, Fla.) allowed both hits in his five innings of work while junior righty Mark Moclair (Seffner, Fla.) came on to pitch four hitless innings. The two combined for 19 strikeouts, including ten by Moclair for the seven-time national champions.

Both of Bentley hits came early, an infield single by sophomore first baseman Ryan Berardino (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS) and a lead single up the middle by sophomore Luke Figueira (Taunton, Mass./Taunton HS) in the second. The only other runner for the Falcons was a ninth-inning walk.

Tampa received the only run it would need in the third when a two-run single to center by freshman Drew Ehrhard (Tampa, Fla.) brought in junior Danny Sirven (Miami, Fla.), who had walked. The Spartans added single runs in the fourth and fifth, the latter on a lead-off homer by senior Harrison Bragg (Lakewood, Wash.), and closed out the scoring with two in the sixth.

Bentley received solid pitching most of the evening with three Falcon hurlers limiting the Spartans to 12 hits.

Sophomore righty and starter Luke Dawson (Stamford, Conn./Westhill HS) struck out seven in three innings of work while giving up four hits and two runs. Senior lefty Nick Neshe (Waltham, Mass./ Waltham HS) finished the game with two scoreless innings. Graduate lefty Evan Walsh (Arlington, Mass./Arlington Catholic HS) pitched three innings in the middle and two of the three runs he allowed were unearned.   

The three-game series will continue Saturday at 6 pm and Sunday at noon.