CLEARWATER, Fla. – Felician College starting pitcher Jerry Vasto (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) allowed only one hit and an unearned run in six innings to lead the Golden Falcons to a 3-2 metal-bat, non-conference baseball victory over Walsh University during The Winning Inning Invitational on Friday evening at Jack Russell Stadium.

Three Felician pitchers combined on a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts. The Golden Falcons (4-7) snapped a four-game losing streak.

Felician, the designated home team, jumped on top in the first inning. Leadoff man Gabriel Fellin (Temple, Pa.) reached on an infield single and continued to second base on a throwing error. Fellin advanced to third on Aaron Brill's (West Palm Beach, Fla.) grounder to the right side, and came home on a single from Scott De Jong (North Haledon, N.J.).

Fellin and Brill jump-started another Golden Falcon rally in the bottom of the third, with Fellin's single and Brill's double putting runners on second and third. De Jong, the RBI leader in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, was intentionally walked to load the bases. One out later, Fellin scored on a fielder's choice grounder by Gerard DeFilippo (East Hanover, N.J.), and Brill followed him home when the Cavaliers' attempt to complete the double play was wild.

Junior left-hander Vasto (1-1), meanwhile, carried a perfect game into the top of the fourth before issuing a leadoff walk to Walsh junior second-baseman Jordan Shank (Canton, Ohio). Shank alertly tagged up and advanced on a one-out foul pop-up to the catcher, and scored when Felician committed an error following Jason McPeek's (Stow, Ohio) infield hit.

Vasto departed with that same 3-1 lead, having struck out a season-high eight batters and walked three. He moved into Felician's all-time top ten with 97 career strikeouts. Classmate Matthew Facendo (Hazlet, N.J.) tossed two scoreless innings, working out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the eighth with a pair of strikeouts. Facendo fanned four and allowed one hit.

Sophomore John Holland (Jackson, N.J.) came on to close for the Golden Falcons in the ninth and ran into early trouble. Cavalier designated hitter Mike Lee (Barberton, Ohio) started the frame with an infield hit. Pinch-runner Ross Etgen (Columbus, Ohio) moved up on a passed ball and scored on a one-out single from Andrew Stanlaker (Canton, Ohio). Holland sandwiched a strikeout around two walks, then with the bases loaded, induced a ground ball to shortstop. Brill tossed to Ralph Caccavale (Massapequa, N.Y.) for the force at second, and Holland escaped with his second save.

Freshman lefty Matt Iosue (Mayfield, Ohio) (0-3) pitched seven innings for Walsh (6-7). He gave up one earned run on seven hits with six walks and three strikeouts. Fellin and Jay Collazo (Wall, N.J.) were each 2 for 4 for the Golden Falcons.