LYNDHURST, N.J. – Graduate student Rob Naughton (Levittown, N.Y./Chaminade) pitched into the eighth inning and classmate Mike Martone (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) and fellow senior Matt Diesel (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) had two hits each as Felician University celebrated Senior Day with a 6-5 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference baseball victory over visiting Concordia (N.Y.) College on Saturday evening at the Lyndhurst Recreation Complex.

After the game, Felician held a ceremony to honor its 10 graduating seniors. Shortly thereafter, the skies opened and Game 2 of the scheduled doubleheader was rained out. The contest must be made up; no new date was immediately announced.

In what turned into a postgame ceremony, the Golden Falcons recognized the careers of John-Paul Codelia (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian), Jesus Colon (Brooklyn, N.Y./Phelps School [Pa.]), Brenden Cuni (New Rochelle, N.Y./Iona Prep), Tanner DeLucia (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin), Diesel, Martone, Dan Naif (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Liberty), Naughton, Steven Slagmolen (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North), and Bruce Strickland (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan).

The victory allowed Felician (26-23, 24-7) to earn the top seed from the CACC South Division, and the league's overall top seed, to the conference championship tournament beginning on May 5. The Golden Falcons also claimed at least a share of their third consecutive league or division regular-season title.  A victory over Concordia in the make-up game, or one loss by Wilmington (Del.) University in its last four league contests, would give the Golden Falcons the division title outright.

Sophomore left fielder Rahul Prince (Pomona, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional [N.J.]) paced Felician on Saturday with a 3 for 4 performance. Senior catcher Joseph Davide (West Hempstead, N.Y./Carey) was 2 for 4 with a triple and scored twice for the Clippers (18-20, 14-11).

Felician plated single runs in each of the first three innings. Concordia obtained two off of Naughton (5-4) in the fourth, then took the lead in the top of the sixth on a two-out, two-run single by Tyler Epple (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue).

The game turned in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and a man on second base, L.T. Struble (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) walked and Diesel singled, but too sharply to score a run, leaving the bases loaded. Prince hit a hard ground ball toward the middle which was gloved by Epple on a dive at shortstop. His desperate flip to second base was wild, allowing Struble to score the go-ahead run. Prince was credited with an infield hit and one RBI.

Felician tacked on a key insurance run in the eighth. Ron Sessa (Chester, N.J./Immaculata), who had entered as a defensive replacement, followed an intentional walk to Diesel, the CACC's leading hitter, by legging out a potential double-play grounder with the bases full.

Naif entered to pitch the ninth inning and immediately found trouble, issuing a walk and committing a balk. After a strikeout, an errant throw by Strickland on a grounder to third base was handled by another late-inning defensive replacement, Sean Downey (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) at first base. Downey attempted to come down for the swipe tag, but the runner was initially ruled safe. After the Felician bench asked for an umpire conference, the call was reversed, a key decision when Jake Partridge (Bardonia, N.Y./Clarkstown South) followed with an RBI single. But Naif induced a ground ball to second base for his seventh save of the season.

Naughton scattered eight hits over 7 1/3 frames. He was charged with four earned runs while striking out five Clippers and walking none. Freshman Nick Nardulli (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) obtained the final two outs of the eighth before giving way to Naif.