WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore Tim Cashman (Rowley) and junior Travis Terrill (Hudson, N.H.), a pair of right-handers, combined to limit Bentley to just four hits in the contest. Cashman, who improved to 2-0 while lowering his ERA to 2.31, struck out eight and walked one in seven innings of work. Terrill came on for the final two innings and retired all six batters he faced, two via strikeout.

In the bottom of the third, after a throwing error on an attempted sacrifice loaded the bases, Merrimack (16-6, 4-0 NE-10 NE) grabbed a 1-0 lead on a grounder to second by senior center fielder Mark O'Flynn (Ipswich).

Bentley answered in the fifth inning, scoring its only run of the game. Junior shortstop Will Brennan (Locust Valley, N.Y./Locust Valley HS) got the inning started with a single to left. He moved to second when junior third baseman Nate Witkowski (Melrose/Malden Catholic HS) was hit by a pitch, and took third on a fly ball to center. Junior left fielder Dante Padovani (Lynnfield/Lynnfield HS) grounded to second, allowing Brennan to score from third.

All four Merrimack runs in the seventh were unearned after a muffed throw at first base allowed freshman shortstop Frank Crinella (Springfield) to reach with one out. Following a single that moved Crinella into scoring position, he scored the go-ahead run on Pastyrnak's single up the middle. Later in the inning, after a pop-up that would have been the third out, senior left fielder Casey Cotter (North Hampton, N.H.) made it 3-1 with an RBI single, and freshman first baseman Matt Brown (Belmont) had a two-run single to center.

Merrimack's only earned run of the afternoon came in the eighth on a single to center by Pastrynak.

Senior right-hander Lamarre Rey (Lynn/Pingree School) took the loss for Bentley despite lowering his ERA to 2.21. He pitched 6.2 innings, gave up five hits (three coming in the seventh) and was charged with the first five Warrior runs.

Bentley (9-14, 2-2 NE-10 NE) will be at home this weekend for doubleheaders against Saint Rose Saturday and Le Moyne Sunday.