LAKE WORTH, Fla. – Junior third baseman Steve Rizzuto  (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS) drove in four runs and senior left fielder Liam Sears (Springfield, Mass./Pope Francis HS) had his second three-run homer in three games as Bentley University took down Southern Connecticut State, 17-2, in non-conference baseball Saturday afternoon at Santaluces Athletic Complex.

Bentley erupted for five runs in the first, sixth and seventh innings to post its second highest scoring output of the season and win for the third time in four games.

In the bottom of the first, junior right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) and sophomore Jackson Walonis (Walpole, Mass./Walpole HS) had RBI singles and Rizzuto had a two-run double.

Bentley made it a 7-2 game in the third on a two-run single to center by junior shortstop Joe Boushell (Mansfield, Mass./Wheeler School).

The Falcons broke it open with five in the sixth, the last three coming on Sears' round tripper to left. Earlier in the inning, junior first baseman Eddy Beauregard (Paxton, Mass./Wachusett Reg. HS) drew a bases-loaded walk and Walonis had a sacrifice fly.

In the seventh, Beauregard and senior DH Charlie Auditore (Walpole, Mass./Walpole HS) had RBI singles, Walonis walked with the bases full and Rizzuto had his second two-run double.

The Falcons' first three hitters – graduate center fielder Kyle Halloran (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS), junior catcher Brian Lindsay (New Durham, N.H./Kingswood Reg. HS) and Zupkus – all had three hits. Lindsay, Zupkus and Beauregard each scored three times and both Sears and Walonis finished with three RBI.

Graduate right-hander Jimmy Hodgson (Newton, Mass./Newton North HS) pitched the first seven innings to gain the win. He scattered ten hits, was charged with two runs and struck out three.

For Southern Connecticut, which brought a 12-2 record into the game, freshman right fielder Bill Sullivan (Valley Cottage, N.Y.) had four hits.

Bentley, which finished the Florida portion of the schedule at 5-10, is scheduled for a four-game series at Franklin Pierce next weekend.