RINDGE, N.H. – Franklin Pierce University broke open a close game with nine runs in its final two at bats and defeated Bentley University, 12-2, Friday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference baseball at Pappas Field.

The first of a four-game weekend series was a 3-2 contest midway through the seventh inning. The Ravens (10-6, 1-0 NE10) seized control by scoring five in that inning and tacked on another four in the eighth.

The first four Franklin Pierce batters in the seventh reached and scored. Following a pair of walks, graduate third baseman Charles Lebron (Brooklyn, N.Y.) doubled down the right field line to drive in the first run and after a pitching change, junior catcher Jake Miller (Boston, Mass.) followed with an RBI single. The inning also included a sacrifice fly by sophomore left fielder Ryan Lavelle (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and a two-run single by junior center fielder Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.).

Pierce's eighth featured a two-run homer to right center by sophomore first baseman Jose Savinon (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

Bentley opened the scoring in the third with a leadoff home run to center by senior left fielder Liam Sears (Springfield, Mass./Pope Francis HS). The Ravens answered in the fifth on a leadoff home run to right center by sophomore second baseman Randy Flores (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

After FPU took the lead on a two-run homer to left by junior right fielder Graham Smith (Wilmington, Mass.) in the sixth, Bentley got one run back in the seventh, making it a 3-2 game. Junior right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) doubled down the left field line and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore second baseman Jackson Walonis (Walpole, Mass./Walpole HS).

Freshman right-hander Marc Cedrone (Walpole, Mass./Xaverian Bros. HS) pitched well for Bentley through six before tiring in the seventh. Through the first six, he only allowed three hits, two of which were home runs.

A trio of Franklin Pierce pitchers limited Bentley to six hits with sophomore righty Chaz Powell (Stamford, Conn.) earning the win after allowing three hits and striking out six in seven innings of work.

Franklin Pierce's ten hits included two apiece by Lebron, Miller and Smith.

The two teams will play a pair of seven-inning games Saturday at noon before wrapping up the series Sunday at 1 pm.