MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Felician University baseball team lost both ends of its non-conference baseball doubleheader against Merrimack College, 12-4 and 3-2, on Friday afternoon to begin its weekend at the Northeast Challege tournament at the Ripken Experience Complex.

Junior right fielder Andrew LaMura (Brick, N.J.) was 5 for 8 on the day for Felician (2-5).

In Game 1, Merrimack, the designated visiting team, jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings. The Warriors needed only one hit, a two-run double by Matt Nicholson (Rockland, Mass.), to tally four unearned runs. Sean O'Neill (Norwood, Mass.) stroked a two-out, three-run triple in the second.

Merrimack starting pitcher Perry Kulaga (Lincroft, N.J.) held the Golden Falcons scoreless until Jason Polgano (Bronx, N.Y.), who had singled, scored on a wild pitch. Kulaga allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts in six frames.

The Warriors put the game away with a five-run seventh. LaMura was 3 for 4 for Felician.

Golden Falcon junior right-hander Matt Blandino (Bristol, Conn.) allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in seven innings in Game 2, but settled for a no-decision. Felician, the visiting team, led, 2-0, after LaMura had an RBI single in the top of the first inning and the Golden Falcons tallied an unearned run in the fourth.

But Merrimack put runners on second and third bases with one out in the fifth. A Paul Buckley (Sagamore, Mass.) RBI single plated one run, and the Warriors tied the score on Mike Forgione's (North Branford, Conn.) fielder's choice grounder.

The Warriors scored the eventual winning run in the eighth when they loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single before Bobby Losanno's (Peabody, Mass.) sacrifice fly to right.

Merrimack lefty P.J. Browne (Rutland, Mass.) gave up one earned run on five hits over eight innings. He struck out eight batters and walked three. Nate Spielvogel (Brookline, Mass.) worked the ninth for a save. LaMura and Polgano had two hits each for Felician.