MANCHESTER, N.H. – A two-out single up the middle by sophomore shortstop Joe Boushell (Mansfield/Wheeler School) in the bottom of the eighth broke a 9-9 deadlock and propelled the Bentley University Falcons to an 11-9 win over Saint Anselm in the first half of a Northeast-10 Conference baseball doubleheader at Sullivan Park Saturday afternoon.

Saint Anselm staged the late rally in the seven-inning nightcap, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory.

It was the third split of the season for Bentley, which is now 3-3 both overall and conference. Saint Anselm finished the afternoon at 5-5 overall and 1-3 NE10.

In the opener, after the Hawks exploded for seven in the bottom of the seventh, including a grand slam from senior right fielder Ben Horsfall (Westborough, Mass.) to go up 9-7, Bentley countered in its next at bat.

Sophomore first baseman Al Paolozzi (Trumbull Conn./St. Joseph HS), who had three RBI and two hits in the game, was hit by a pitch. He was sacrificed to third, moved to third on a single by freshman second baseman Jackson Walonis (Walpole/Walpole HS) and was balked home with the tying run. Later in the inning, Boushell's single played Walonis to give Bentley a 10-9 lead.

Bentley tacked on an insurance run in the ninth when graduate DH Ryan Berardino (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. HS) singled, junior left fielder Liam Sears (Springfield, Mass./Pope Francis HS) doubled and pinch-runner Tommy Fisher (Stoughton/Catholic Memorial HS) scored on a ground out.

The Falcons had a pair of three-run innings while building an 8-2 lead. Paolozzi hit a three-run homer, his first round tripper as a collegian, in the second and Sears had one of his four hits in the sixth inning.

Junior righty Brandon Ostiguy (East Greenbush, N.Y./Columbia HS)) earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. He allowed only one hit and one walk while striking out two.

In addition to the four from Sears, Bentley's 14 hits included two apiece from Boushell, sophomore third baseman Steve Rizzuto (Belmont/Belmont HS), senior catcher Charlie Auditore (Walpole/Walpole HS)) and Walonis.

The momentum carried into the nightcap with Bentley scoring two unearned runs in the first. Saint Anselm got one back in the fifth and it stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh. Saint Anselm threatened in the sixth but a diving catch by sophomore right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) preserved the 2-1 lead.

After Bentley left the bases loaded in the top seventh, sophomore second baseman Brady Doran (Stony Brook, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the inning. Doran stole second and scored the tying run on a single to left by junior first baseman Kyle Maurice (Exeter, N.H.). Another hit batter was followed by a game-ending single to left from sophomore center fielder Mike Borrelli (Salisbury).

Berardino had three of Bentley's six game-two hits.

Senior righty Evan Christopulos (Andover/Andover HS) pitched well in his 2021 debut for Bentley, allowing six hits and one run in five innings of work. He struck out eight and walked one.

The two teams will continue their series on the same field Monday with a noon doubleheader.