WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) and junior center fielder Joe Cacciatore (Lexington/Lexington HS) combined for six hits, five RBI and four runs scored as Bentley University defeated St. Michael's College, 12-4, in the first half of a Northeast-10 Conference baseball doubleheader on DeFelice Field Thursday afternoon.

After extending its winning streak to six and clinching a berth in next week's conference playoffs, Bentley dropped the nightcap to the Purple Knights, 5-2.

The opener saw Bentley (21-19, 10-12 NE10) erupt for four runs in the second and five in the fourth with Zupkus driving in at least one run in each frame.

In the second, Cacciatore had an RBI single to left to tie the contest at 1-1. Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Zupkus cleared them with a three-run double to deep center.

The fourth inning included an RBI double to right center by graduate second baseman Kyle Halloran (Hopkinton/Hopkinton HS), an RBI single by Zupkus and a two-run triple to right center by senior third baseman Steve Rizzuto (Belmont/Belmont HS).

Bentley's 14 hits included three apiece by Zupkus and Cacciatore, and two each from Rizzuto and sophomore left fielder Stan DeMartinis III (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage HS). Zupkus finished with four RBI and Cacciatore scored three times.

Sophomore Harper Flint (Sunapee, N.H./Sunapee HS) was credited with the win following four scoreless innings of relief. He allowed three hits and struck out four.

In the seven-inning nightcap, Bentley was hitless through four and fell behind 5-0 before scoring twice in the seventh, both on a two-out single by graduate left fielder Liam Sears (Springfield/Pope Francis HS). After the Falcons loaded the bases, senior righty Ozzie Rodriguez (Tampa, Fla.) got a grounder to short to end the comeback bid and pick up the save for senior side-armer John Luke Cianciolo (Guilford, Conn.).

St. Michael's (4-29, 4-17 NE10) was led offensively by junior center fielder Andrew Lanthier (Orwell, Vt.), who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

The two teams will close out the regular season with another doubleheader on DeFelice Field Saturday at 1 pm.