WALTHAM, Mass. – Records, homers, and walk-off wins. Sunday was an eventful doubleheader for the Bentley baseball team as it won both ends of a Northeast-10 doubleheader against New Haven. Both games concluded with a 5-4 final score.
The Falcons notched their 28th and 29th wins of the season, tying the single-season program record that was achieved in 2024. Bentley has four more games remaining in the 2025 regular season.
Brendan Sencaj broke the Bentley record for hits in a season. In the fifth inning of the second game, Sencaj worked the count full. He ripped the payoff pitch into left field, marking his record-setting 74th hit of the season. Don Peters' record of 73 hits in a season stood since 1997.
Sencaj's 75th career hit setup a dramatic finish in the bottom of the seventh inning. With Bentley trailing 4-3 in the final inning, Sencaj reached base with a single. The next batter, Nick Pappas, belted a walk-off home run over the left field fence. It was Pappas' sixth home run of the season, and his 30th and 31st RBI.
That victory was the Falcons' second walk-off victory of the day.
In the first game of the doubleheader, New Haven held a 4-2 lead entering the bottom of the ninth. Patrick Purcell led off with a walk, and Rene Nunez came to pinch run. After David VanderZouwen drew a walk, Nunez moved up to third base on a passed ball. Sencaj followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to centerfield, and Nunez touched home plate to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Pappas next drew a free pass, and Jared Berardino was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs. Curt Heath rose to the challenge by drawing a walk on five pitches, forcing in the game-tying run.
Still with two outs, Jake Maydak stepped to the plate. He worked the count full, and then took ball four outside to force in the game-winning run.
Stan DeMartinis III hit a home run in each game against the Chargers. He has a team-high 13 long balls this spring.
Timmy Orie earned the win in the first game, tossing 2.2 shutout innings in relief of Zach Eigenbrod (6.1IP, 3ER). Harper Flint got his first win of the season by pitching a clean seventh inning for the second game.
Bentley returns home Wednesday, April 30, for a single non-conference game against American International at 3:30 p.m.
