MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – For the third time in its first four games, the Felician College baseball team was limited to five base hits on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Falcons were defeated, 4-1, by the University of Bridgeport during the Northeast Challenge at the Ripken Experience complex. Sophomore first-baseman Scott De Jong (North Haledon, N.J.) was 2 for 4 and drove in Felician's only run.

Bridgeport (2-0), the designated visiting team, broke open a 1-1 game with three runs in the top of the eighth inning. Right-hander Billy Rogers (Kendall Park, N.J.) (0-1) put the first two Purple Knights on, and they proceeded to load the bases with none out after reliever Matthew Facendo (Hazlet, N.J.) came on. A sacrifice fly by Mike Perry (East Haven, Conn.) provided the go-ahead run, and when the ball was dropped for an error, the bases remained full.

Facendo induced a strikeout for the first out, but Bridgeport's Tim Bickford (Wallingford, Conn.) and Dylan Steigerwald (Holbrook, N.Y.) followed with back-to-back run-scoring singles. Facendo escaped further damage with a strikeout and comebacker to the mound to end the frame.

The runs made a winner out of UB freshman left-hander Adam Thayer (Ansonia, Conn.). In eight innings, Thayer allowed five hits, striking out seven batters while walking three. The Golden Falcons threatened against him in the eighth when he issued walks to the first two hitters. But Felician failed on a sacrifice attempt, with Thayer forcing the lead runner at third base, and a strikeout and flyout ended Felician's scoring opportunity.

Bridgeport freshman Dakota Edwards (Turlock, Calif.) pitched a hitless ninth for his first collegiate save.

Felician starting pitcher Dean Loucka (Wood-Ridge, N.J.) battled Thayer zero for zero for four frames before the Purple Knights came up with an unearned run in the fifth. Loucka allowed three hits with six strikeouts and one walk in a five-inning no-decision.

Felician (1-3) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth when De Jong's two-out single plated Gabriel Fellin (Temple, Pa.), who had drawn a leadoff walk and moved up on a balk and a groundout.

De Jong is 6 for 15 with four RBI on the season. He owns one-fourth of Felician's base hits.