Box Score MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A fourth-inning two-run home run by senior designated hitter Brennan Price (Middlesex, N.J.) proved to be the only scoring in Felician University's season opening 2-0 non-conference baseball victory over Franklin Pierce University during the Northeast Challenge event on Thursday evening at the Ripken Experience complex.
Franklin Pierce, the 2016 NCAA Division II East Region champion, is ranked No. 12 in the most recent national D-II writers' poll, and second regionally. Felician is ranked No. 4 in the preseason regional writers' poll.
Fifth-year senior right-hander John Holland (Jackson, N.J.) earned the opening day start for the Golden Falcons, and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. After escaping a second-and-third, one-out jam in the sixth, Holland departed. He allowed one hit, struck out eight batters, and walked two. By fanning all three batters he faced in the fourth, he became the fourth pitcher in Felician history to reach 200 career strikeouts.
Franklin Pierce junior righty John Amendola (Wallingford, Conn.) was nearly as good. The only blemish on his line came in the bottom of the fourth. Jason Polgano (Bronx, N.Y.) walked to lead off the frame for Felician, the designated home team, and advanced on a groundout. The lefty-swinging Price then sent an 0-and-1 offering over the wall in left-center field. Amendola also worked six innings, allowing two hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
Golden Falcon reliever Rob Naughton (Levittown, N.Y.) entered with two on and one out in the seventh and recorded two strikeouts. Felician then turned the ball over to junior Dan Naif (Jackson, N.J.) for a six-out save. Naif yielded a single and a walk with two outs in the eighth, but second-baseman Ralph Caccavale (Massapequa, N.Y.) leapt to snare a line drive off the bat of Dalton Davis (Birmingham, Ala.) and end the threat.
In the ninth, Caccavale ranged far to his backhand side to field a two-out ground ball, and successfully threw across his body to end the game.
Felician senior J.R. Meneses (Lake Worth, Fla.) picked up his 100th career base hit with a two-out single in the seventh. It was one of five Golden Falcon safeties. Felician faces LIU Post on Friday at 5 p.m.
