LYNDHURST, N.J. – Kutztown University needed just four base hits to score five times in its 5-3 non-conference baseball victory over host Felician College on Wednesday afternoon at the Lyndhurst Recreation Complex. Kutztown, which is ranked No. 5 in the most recent NCAA Division II Atlantic Region writers' poll, earned its eighth consecutive victory.

With both teams facing conference doubleheaders later in the week, each delved deep into its pitching staff. Kutztown (14-4) sent nine hurlers to the hill on the day, while Felician used seven moundsmen. Of the 16 pitchers to see action, only Golden Falcon starter Dean Loucka (Wood-Ridge, N.J./Wood-Ridge) (0-2) worked more than one inning.

Loucka managed to allow four earned runs on only two base hits in his four innings of action. In the top of the first, Golden Bear leadoff man Brandon Martinez (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) reached on an infield single and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly. After the hosts tied the game in the third on a sacrifice fly by Mike Farrell (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South), Kutztown took the lead for good with three runs on one hit in the fourth.

The Golden Bears put their first two runners on base on a single and a hit batsman. Felician then failed to retire the lead runner on Brandon Hickey's (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) sacrifice attempt, loading the bases. Loucka uncorked a wild pitch to allow the go-ahead run to score, and John Dockins (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) and Brandon Shurr (Bernville, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) then produced consecutive run-scoring groundouts.

Kutztown used each of its pitchers for one-inning apiece. Senior right-hander Gilbert Vega (Lancaster, Pa./J.P. McCaskey) (1-0) was the pitcher of record despite allowing a run on two hits in the third. The Golden Bears tacked on a run in the fifth, while the Felician bats remained silent until a two-run uprising in the eighth.

Junior Jordan Tackett (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford) led off the home half of the eighth with a triple, and two batters later, Farrell delivered another three-bagger. Scott De Jong's (North Haledon, N.J./Eastern Christian) groundout plated Farrell to cut the Felician deficit to 5-3, and that is where the score remained when Kutztown sent sophomore righty Dave King (Tremont, Pa./Minersville) in to pitch the bottom of the ninth.

Junior designated hitter Jay Collazo (Wall, N.J./Manasquan) drew a leadoff walk, giving the Golden Falcons three cracks with the tying run at the plate. But Wall induced a strikeout and two groundouts, picking up his first save of 2013.

Farrell enjoyed the only multi-hit game for either team, going 2 for 2 plus a walk with two RBI. Felician (8-17) left seven runners on base.

The Golden Falcons are home again on Thursday, taking on Nyack College in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference twinbill beginning at 2:30 at the Lyndhurst Recreation Complex.