Mike Samko
Mike Samko

Bentley Uses 18 Hits to Overpower Bridgeport, 17-2

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – Four hits and four RBI from senior third baseman Mike Samko (Arlington, Mass./BB&N), along with home runs from sophomore first baseman Ryan Berardino (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS) and junior right fielder Brandon Grover (Rocky Hill, Conn./ Rocky Hill HS), powered Bentley University to a 17-2 win over University of Bridgeport in non-conference college baseball Friday afternoon at Lake Brantley High School.

Bentley, which won for fourth time in its last five games to improve to 5-7, did most of its damage in the fifth when the Falcons erupted for ten runs.

Berardino opened the scoring in the fifth with his first career home run clearing the left field fence, with Samko scoring ahead of him. The inning continued with a two-run single by sophomore shortstop Chris Hopkins (Malden, Mass./Malden Catholic HS), a bases-loaded walk drawn by graduate catcher Nathan Littman (Abington, Mass./Abington HS), a two-run single by Samko, and RBI singles from sophomore center fielder Max Troiani (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon HS) and Grover.

The Falcons added to their lead with an RBI single by Littman in the sixth, Grover's home run to right in the seventh and Samko's two-run single to center in the eighth.

Bentley totaled 18 hits with the top five hitters in the order a combined 12 for 25. In addition to the four hits from Samko, Troiani and junior DH Austin Farry (Watertown, Mass./Watertown HS) each hit three hits, and Berardino, Grover and Hopkins had two apiece.

Farry, Berardino and Samko each scored three times, and Hopkins and Berardino both had three RBI.

Junior right-hander Luke Dawson (Stamford, Conn./Westhill HS) earned the win for the Falcons after allowing five hits, two runs and two walks in six innings of work. He also struck out seven, giving him 33 in 19 innings this season.

Sophomore Greg Johnson (North Reading, Mass./North Reading HS) pitched a scoreless seventh and junior Ryan Corriveau (Milton, N.H./Nute HS) blanked the 1-14 Purple Knights over the final two innings.

Outfielders Daren Grabowski (Berlin, Conn.) and Jose Negron (New Haven, Conn.) each had two hits for Bridgeport.

The two teams will continue their four-game weekend series with a Saturday doubleheader that starts at noon.