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Luke Figueira
Luke Figueira

Bentley Freshmen Total 10 Hits, but Falcons Fall to Merrimack, 5-1

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Despite ten hits from its freshman class, including four from center fielder Luke Figueira (Taunton/Taunton HS), the Bentley University Falcons dropped a 5-1 decision to Merrimack College in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division baseball Monday afternoon at the Warrior Diamond.

The Falcon freshmen were a combined 10 of 21 while the team's upperclassmen struggled at the plate, going hitless in 18 at bats. In addition to the 4-for-4 from Figueira, second baseman Jake Pierce (East Bridgewater/East Bridgewater HS) and first baseman Ryan Berardino (Sudbury/Lincoln-Sudbury HS) both had two hits.

Sophomore right-hander Cam Monagle (Cambridge) was impressive on the mound for the Warriors (23-17, 15-3 NE10 Northeast) while earning his second win of the spring. He struck out nine and walked just one while scattering the ten singles in his eight-plus innings of work.

The only run he allowed came in the eighth.  Freshman left fielder Max Troiani (Pittsford, N.Y./ Pittsford Mendon HS) reached after a third-strike wild pitch. Following a ground out, he came around to score from second on a throwing error.

Merrimack claimed the early lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by sophomore designated hitter Matthew Ronai (Orange, Conn.).  The Warriors, who won for the eighth time in their last ten games, added another run in the fourth on an RBI single by junior catcher Ricky Smith (Weymouth) and made it a 4-0 game with two runs in the fifth. Those both scored on a single to center by senior first baseman Cam DiSarcina (Shirley).

Merrimack totaled 11 hits, including three by Ronai and two from Smith.

With the loss, Bentley (9-27, 7-10 NE10 Northeast) dropped to out of the top four in the Northeast Division standings, dropping a half-game back of fourth-place Stonehill.

The two teams will meet Tuesday (3:30 pm) at Stonehill with the winner capturing the season series and control of the tie-breaker should they finish tied. It will be the Skyhawks' final game while the Falcons have a three-game road series with Assumption remaining.