Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Max Troiani
Max Troiani

Bentley Sweeps St. Michael’s, 14-0 and 6-2, to Compete Regular Season with 7-Game Winning Streak

WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior right-hander Paul Frisoli (Watertown/Arlington Catholic HS) struck out a career-high 14 during a complete-game shutout in game one and junior center fielder Max Troiani (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon HS) had seven RBI in the doubleheader as Bentley University swept St. Michael's College, 14-0 and 6-2, in Northeast-10 Conference Northeast Division baseball Friday afternoon at DeFelice Field.

Bentley, which will tie for second in the Northeast Division after capturing the three-game series, extended its winning streak to seven, the Falcons' longest since a similar streak in 2014, and climbed over .500 for the first time after starting the year 0-10. Coach Bob DeFelice's club finished the regular season 21-10 overall, 18-9 in conference play and 15-6 in division action.

In game one, Bentley put runs on the scoreboard in six of the eight innings they went to the plate. The Falcons struck for two runs in the first inning and had a pair of four-run innings later in the game, in the fifth and in the eighth.

Senior first baseman Brandon Grover (Rocky Hill, Conn./Rocky Hill HS) led the 18-hit attack with four hits, two runs scored and two RBI. He picked up an RBI in the first inning, singled in a run in the third, reached on an infield single and scored in the fifth, singled to center in the sixth and singled and scored in the eighth.

Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit, including graduate second baseman Mike Samko (Arlington/BB&N), who had three to move to within one of 200 for his career. Senior right fielder Gino Fordiani (Sudbury/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS) was 3-for-4 with three RBI and Troiani contributed three RBI, two runs scored and a pair of hits.

Frisoli's first career complete game shutout saw him scatter five hits and walk only one. The eighth inning was the only time that the Purple Knights had runners in scoring position. The win was his fifth in seven decisions.

Bentley also received quality pitching in game two with sophomore righty Jimmy Hodgson (Newton/Newton North HS) pitching five scoreless innings and classmate Will Rossiter (Granite Springs, N.Y./Kennedy Catholic HS) gaining his third save with four innings of relief. Hodgson gave up four hits and struck out four while picking up his fifth win of the season. Rossiter allowed three hits and walked one while striking out a half-dozen.

The Falcons got on the scoreboard in the first when junior third baseman Jake Pierce (East Bridgewater/East Bridgewater HS) had the first of his four hits and scored on a single to right center by junior DH Ryan Berardino (Sudbury/Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS).

With the score at 3-0 and two runners on base in the sixth, Troiani doubled the lead with an inside-the-park three-run homer to dead center. It was his ninth home run of the season.

Other than Pierce, the only Falcon to have more than one hit was Fordiani with two, completing a five-for-seven afternoon.

St. Michael's, which scored its only runs of the day in the seventh inning, finished its season at 9-28 overall and 5-16 Northeast.

The field and pairings for the Northeast-10 Conference Championships will be announced later this weekend.