WALTHAM, Mass. -- Senior lefty Tom Cote (Swanzey, N.H.) and sophomore righty Tom Nicholas (Northboro) combined on a five-hitter as three-time defending regional champion Franklin Pierce University posted a 5-2 win over Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference baseball Tuesday afternoon at DeFelice Field.
The Raven victory over the first-place Falcons, coupled with Assumption's 12-11 win over Southern Connecticut State, created a four-way tie at the top of the NE-10 standings with Bentley (17-12, 8-4) and Franklin Pierce (15-12, 6-3) even with Assumption and UMass-Lowell.
Unearned runs in the fifth and sixth inning allowed Franklin Pierce to turn a one-run deficit into a 3-2 lead. Freshman catcher Mike Dowd (East Bridgewater) had an RBI single in the fifth and sophomore shortstop Jose Macias (Bronx, N.Y.) had the same in the sixth.
Franklin Pierce picked up some insurance in the seventh, scoring twice. Junior right fielder Kevin Rivers (Bristol, Conn.) had a one-out double to right, senior left fielder Ted Lerud (Hampden) followed with his second RBI single of the game, and he later scored on a two-out double by freshman third baseman Ben Benigno (Trumbull, Conn.).
After the Ravens grabbed the lead in the top of the third, Bentley replied with two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Freshman left fielder Mark Lane (Tyngsboro/Tyngsboro HS) singled and scored on a triple to left-center by sophomore third baseman Ross Curley (Lexington/Lexington HS). A ground out by junior center fielder Brett Damato (Commack, N.Y./Commack HS) plated Curley with the go-ahead run.
Cote, who notched his fourth win in six decisions, allowed four hits over the first eight innings. He walked three and struck out four before giving way to Nicholas. The Falcons threatened in the ninth, with a triple by sophomore right fielder James Roche (Arlington/Arlington HS) and a walk, but Nicholas got a game-ending double play to lock up the win for his team, the save his third of the year.
Bentley received a solid pitching effort from senior righty Brett Fistes (South Deerfield/Greenfield HS), who has been given only four runs of support in his four losses this season. He scattered a dozen hits but didn't issue any walks and struck out a career-best nine.
Dowd and Benigno each had three hits for Franklin Pierce while Bentley's five hits were split by five different players.
Bentley will play its next five games on the road, beginning Wednesday with a 3:30 non-conference encounter at Stonehill College.
