TOWNSEND, Mass. – The Bentley University golf team finished day one of the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational in a tie for fifth place after turning in a 299 Sunday at the Northern Spy Golf Club. A total of 16 teams are competing in the two-day tournament.

Bentley's five players all shot in the 70s with senior Jared Walter (South Windsor, Conn./South Windsor HS), junior Tim Picard (Dracut/Lowell Catholic HS) and sophomore Evan Desjardins (Salem, N.H./Salem HS) each finishing with a four-over 74.

Walter had four birdies, and Picard was the most consistent with a tournament-best 14 pars, one more than Desjardins.

Also for the Falcons, sophomore Nelson Eaton (Groton, Vt./St. Johnsbury Acad.) shot a 77 and senior Kevin Lynch (Haddam, Conn./Xavier HS) turned in a 78.

Southern New Hampshire is the team leader at the midpoint as the Penmen posted a 286, eight better than second-place Assumption University. Bentley will begin Monday's action only five strokes out of second.

Four players broke par with Alejandro Gomez (Dominican) and Pablo Hidalgo (Felician) at the top of the leaderboard. Walter, Picard and Desjardins are all tied for 15^th in the 84-man field.