NEW CASTLE, Del. – No. 1 seed Wilmington (Del.) University advanced to the winners' bracket final of the 2013 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Baseball Tournament with a 5-4 victory over visiting and No. 5 seed Felician College on Thursday afternoon at Wilson Field. Wilmington (38-12) is ranked No. 8 in the most recent national NCAA Division II writers' poll and is the No. 1 team in the East Region.

Felician (20-31) falls to the losers' bracket, where it will meet No. 2 seed Dominican (N.Y.) College at noon on Friday at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington, Del. Dominican suffered a 10-1 setback to No. 6 seed Chestnut Hill College later on Thursday.

Felician trailed, 4-1 after seven innings, but rallied to tie the game by scoring three times in the top of the eighth. Mike Farrell (Red Bank, N.J.), Chris Ayala (Marlboro, N.J.), and Chris Faber (Neptune, N.J.) had run-scoring singles in the inning, all while even or behind in the count.

But the Wildcats struck quickly to move back ahead in the home half of the eighth. Brandon Payne (New Castle, Del.) greeted Golden Falcon reliever Brett Hauber (Deposit, N.Y.) (0-2) with a blast down the right field foul line that rolled into the corner for a triple. Teammate Frank Samluk (Middletown, Del.) followed by lining the go-ahead single to right field.

The Felician bullpen escaped the rest of the eighth without further damage, but Wilmington junior Nick Marics (Edison, N.J.) worked a perfect ninth to secure the victory. Marics (4-3) was credited with the win despite giving up Faber's tying single.

Wilmington received a 9 for 12 performance out of the bottom four hitters in its line-up, led by Payne's 3 for 4. Ayala was 2 for 4 for Felician.

The CACC Tournament schedule can be viewed at http://www.caccathletics.org/sports/bsb/2012-13/releases/20130501-baseballchampionshippairings.