SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Despite a double and the 11^th home run of the season for All-Conference left fielder Stan DeMartinis III (Boca Raton, Fla./American Heritage HS), the fourth-seeded Bentley University baseball team fell to second-seeded Franklin Pierce University 8-3 Friday in an elimination game during Northeast-10 Conference Championship Weekend on Le Moyne College's Dick Rockwell Field.

Bentley finished its season at 23-22 while Franklin Pierce, 32-16, stayed alive in the championship tournament.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning. For the Falcons, Both freshman shortstop Tommy Bolton (Tampa, Fla./Plant HS) and senior right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) walked to open the game and advanced on a double steal, DeMartinis flied to right with Bolton scoring on the sac fly.

In the bottom of the first, Franklin Pierce senior center fielder Joel Lara (Boston, Mass.) was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a walk, took third on an infield single and scored on the front end of a double steal.

Franklin Pierce took control of the game with three runs in the second inning. Junior shortstop Ian Battipaglia (Cheshire, Conn.) had an RBI single and Lara hit a two-run single down the left field line. A Bentley double play, triggered by senior third baseman Steve Rizzuto (Belmont, Mass./Belmont HS), ended the inning.

Bentley got one run back in the fourth. DeMartinis led off with a double to left center, advanced on a fly out and scored on a single to third by senior first baseman Eddy Beauregard (Paxton, Mass./Wachusett Reg. HS), his 32^nd RBI of the season.

After the Ravens picked up an unearned run in the fifth, DeMartinis homered to right center in the sixth, reducing the FPU lead to 5-3.

Franklin Pierce added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth and got a game-ending double-play in the ninth.

Lara led the Franklin Pierce offense with three hits and two RBI. Junior righty Hunter Reynolds (Marlborough, Mass.) pitched the first five innings, allowing four hits and two runs, and sophomore Stephen Bangs (Stoughton, Mass.), also a right-hander, came on for a three-inning save.

In addition to DeMartinis, both Beauregard and graduate second baseman Kyle Halloran (Hopkinton, Mass./Hopkinton HS) had two hits for the Falcons.