WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley dropped an 8-2 decision to Southern New Hampshire in the first round of the NE10 Championship on Wednesday afternoon.

The Penmen scored once in the first and second innings for an early 2-0 lead. The teams then matched zeros until the top of the sixth when SNHU tacked on three runs.

The visitors added three more runs in the top of the seventh for an 8-0 lead before the Falcons put one on the board in the bottom half when a sac fly by Nick Pappas drove in Pat Purcell.

The bottom of the ninth saw the first two Falcons walk, Tommy Bolton and Brendan Sencaj, and a one out walk by Stan DeMartinis loaded the bases.

A sac fly by the next batter Jared Berardino scored Bolton to make the score 8-2, but SNHU was able to record the final out.

The Penmen were led offensively by a 4-5 day from shortstop Jancarlos Colon and three RBI by first baseman Jackson Marshall.

Despite the defeat, Bentley (33-15) remains in a strong position for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. They are ranked third in the latest East Region rankings ahead of Selection Sunday.