LAKE WORTH, Fla. – The Bentley University Falcons erupted for five runs in the bottom of the eighth but came up one short in a 7-6 loss to Pace University in non-conference baseball at the Santaluces Athletic Complex on Sunday.

Pace, off to a 9-1 start, scored three times in the first and added two in both the third and fifth to go up 7-0.

Bentley, which had only one hit through six, got on the scoreboard in the seventh when senior right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) homered for the second time this spring.

Sophomore DH Stan DeMartinis III (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage HS) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, senior left fielder Tommy Fisher (Stoughton, Mass./Catholic Memorial HS) drew a bases loaded walk and junior second baseman Jackson Walonis (Walpole, Mass./Walpole HS) had a sacrifice fly.

The rally continued with Zupkus singling in a run and senior third baseman Cory Bright (Melrose, Mass./Bishop Fenwick HS) drawing another bases-loaded walk. However, Pace escaped further trouble, stranding the bases loaded.

Bentley opened the ninth with another walk but a double play and a ground out left the 5-3 Falcons a run short. Junior Dan Brown (East Northport, N.Y.) pitched the final inning for the save.

Zupkus, two-for-four, had half of Bentley's hits while Pace was led by graduate right fielder Luke Jacobi (Edison, N.J.) with three. The Setters finished with a total of ten.

For Pace, sophomore lefty Vincent Civitella (Clifton, N.J.) pitched seven innings and struck out ten while allowing only two hits and one run.

The two teams will wrap up the three-game series Monday at 2 pm with Bentley looking to snap a two-game slide.t