LYNDHURST, N.J. – Nationally-ranked Southern New Hampshire University won both ends of its non-conference baseball doubleheader from host Felician University, 7-4 and 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at the Lyndhurst Recreation Complex. In each contest, SNHU scored the go-ahead run in its final at-bat.

The Penmen (7-0) are ranked No. 14 in the most recent national NCAA Division II writers' poll and second regionally. Felician was playing in its 2016 home openers.

The Golden Falcons (4-8) led, 4-1, after eight innings in the opener. But SNHU struck for six runs in the top of the ninth, including five unearned tallies after two were out. The Penmen had just three hits in the frame, including RBI singles by Christian Aybar (Cranston, R.I./Bishop Hendricken) and Carson Helms (Farmington, Conn./Farmington), and took advantage of a walk, a hit batsman, and three Felician errors. Penmen reliever Jake Walkinshaw (Seymour, Conn./Seymour) worked around a one-out single by Matt Diesel (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) to pitch a scoreless bottom of the ninth and earn his second save of the season.

Felician had erased an early 1-0 deficit with three fourth inning runs, using a two-run single by Matt Kleinstein (Marlboro, N.J./Colts Neck) and a run-scoring hit from Ronnie Grant (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township). Junior Andrew LaMura (Brick, N.J./Red Bank Catholic), who had led off with a single, scored on a wild pitch in the fifth.

The SNHU ninth-inning rally left Golden Falcon starting pitcher John Holland (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty) with a hard-luck no-decision. Holland allowed five hits over seven innings, striking out 10 batters while walking four. He gave up just one run on an RBI single by Helms in the third.

SNHU senior Joe McCarthy (Nashua, N.H./Bishop Guertin) (2-0) pitched four innings of scoreless, one-hit relief to earn the victory. Helms and Zach Goldstein (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) had two hits apiece. For the Golden Falcons, Bruce Strickland (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) had three hits and Kleinstein finished 2 for 3.

Game 2, a scheduled seven-inning affair, matched Penmen senior left-hander Tim Viehoff (Derry, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) and Felician junior righty Matt Blandino (Bristol, Conn/Bristol Central) in a pitchers' duel. Both hurlers went the distance.

The game was tied, 1-1, when SNHU freshman Kevin Alexy (West Norton, Mass./Newton North) led off the top of the seventh with a pinch-hit triple. Felician brought its infield in, and Blandino induced consecutive groundouts. But Goldstein looped a 1-and-2 offering to left field to drive in the eventual winning run.

Viehoff (2-0) set the Golden Falcons down in order in the bottom of the seventh to complete a four-hitter. He struck out eight batters and walked two. The only blemish on his line was an RBI single by Brennan Price (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) in the bottom of the first.

The Penmen tied the score in the fifth. Sean Webster (Boston, Mass./Boston College HS) singled with one out, stole second base, and continued to third when the throw went into center field. After Goldstein walked and stole second, Webster scored on a groundout by Manny Cruz (Wolcott, Conn./Wolcott).

Blandino (0-1) allowed one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.

The two teams complete a four-game series with another doubleheader on Sunday in Lyndhurst.