GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Graduate first baseman Liam Sears (Springfield, Mass./Pope Francis HS) was three-for-four with three runs scored, two RBI and his fourth home run of the spring as Bentley University defeated Adelphi University, 12-9, in non-conference baseball Friday afternoon on Bonomo Memorial Field.

Bentley, which saw a 7-0 second-inning lead shrink to one at 10-9, improved to 15-16 overall after winning its second straight and its second of the season against the Panthers. Adelphi dropped to 14-21 overall.

Bentley erupted for five runs in the top of the first inning. After a walk, a single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, senior right fielder Tim Zupkus (Middlebury, Conn./Holy Cross HS) put the visitors in front with a two-run, two-out single to right. Later in the inning, senior DH Cory Bright (Melrose, Mass./Bishop Fenwick HS) had a two-run single to center and junior center fielder Joe Cacciatore (Lexington, Mass./Lexington HS) made it 5-0 with an RBI single to center.

The lead grew to 7-0 in the second with Sears followed a single by freshman shortstop Tommy Bolton (Tampa, Fla./Plant HS) with a home run to left center.

After the Panthers closed to within three at 9-6, Bentley picked up a single run in the seventh. Bolton, who had his second straight four-hit game and is 12 of 18 in his last four games, drove in Cacciatore from second with a single to right center.

Adelphi cut the Falcon advantage to one, 10-9, with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. However, the Panthers left the bases loaded when freshman lefty Steve Hardiman (No. Massapequa, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial HS) struck out junior designated hitter Joe Pellegrino (Commack, N.Y.) looking.

The Falcons added two insurance runs in the ninth. Cacciatore singled up the middle, Bolton had an infield single, Sears was hit by a pitch and DeMartinis II singled up the middle to plate Cacciatore and Bolton.

Hardiman gave up a leadoff single in the ninth but retired the next three to save the game for graduate right-hander Sean Mahan (Woburn, Mass./Matignon HS).

Bentley's 14 hits also included three by Cacciatore in addition to the four from Bolton and three from Sears.

The two teams will square off again Saturday with a doubleheader on Bonomo Memorial Field. First pitch is set for 12 noon.