EASTON, Mass. – With two out and the count full in the top of the ninth, senior catcher Charlie Auditore (Walpole/Walpole HS) singled to center, driving in sophomore third baseman Steve Rizzuto (Belmont/Belmont HS) with the go-ahead run and propelling Bentley University to a 6-5 non-conference win over host Stonehill College in college baseball action Wednesday afternoon at Lou Gorman Field.

Bentley's only lead of the game, following a 4-0 deficit, resulted in the Falcons extending their winning streak to seven and improving to 10-3 on the season. Stonehill dropped to 8-8 overall.

After the Skyhawks scored three times in the first and added another run in the third, Bentley began the comeback in the fifth.

Freshman center fielder Joe Cacciatore (Lexington/Lexington HS) singled to short and advanced to second on a balk. A single to left by sophomore right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) put runners on the corners with the heart of the Falcon lineup due up. Senior shortstop Kyle Halloran (Hopkinton/Hopkinton HS) grounded to third for a fielder's choice and brought in Cacciatore with Bentley's first run.

That brought Rizzuto to the plate and he delivered with his second career home run clearing the left field fence. The RBI's were his team-leading 16th and 17th of the year.

Down 5-3, Bentley resumed its comeback in the seventh. Cacciatore singled to right and moved to third on a walk and sacrifice bunt. Stonehill went to the bullpen with Rizzuto due up and Rizzuto flied to center for a sacrifice fly. The Falcons' seventh sac fly in five games cut the deficit to one, 5-4.

In the eighth, junior left fielder Liam Sears (Springfield/Pope Francis HS), Bentley's leading hitter at .432, led off with a game-tying home run to center and the two teams were knotted at five apiece. It was his second round tripper of the spring.

Rizzuto reached on a throwing error with one out in the ninth and graduate first baseman Ryan Berardino (Sudbury/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS), a .426 hitter, followed with a walk. After a foul pop-out and an eight-pitch at bat, Auditore sent the ball to center with Rizzuto racing home for a 6-5 lead.

Junior righty Brandon Ostiguy (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia HS), the eighth Bentley pitcher, came on for the save, striking out two of the four batters he faced, including senior left fielder Rob Duarte (Raynham) looking for the final out.

Bentley's final four relievers each pitched one scoreless inning, including freshman righty Ryan Sullivan (North Haven, Conn./Notre Dame HS) for his first career win. He struck out two of the three hitters he faced.

The Falcons' 10 hits included two apiece from Auditore and freshman DH Joe Boushell (Mansfield/Wheeler School HS).

Bentley is scheduled for a four-game series at Assumption College this weekend with noon doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday.