MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Felician University baseball team allowed five unearned runs during its 11-2 non-conference loss to Southern New Hampshire University during the Northeast Challenge event on a crisp Friday evening at the Ripken Experience complex.

Senior center fielder Mike Martinez (Union City, N.J.) was 3 for 3 plus a walk and scored twice for the Golden Falcons.

Felician was playing its first game of 2020. Southern New Hampshire (1-3), which eliminated the Golden Falcons from the 2019 NCAA Tournament, is ranked No. 23 in the most recent national Division II media poll and first regionally. The Golden Falcons are the No. 6 team in the East Region.

The Penmen, the designated visiting team, scored two unearned runs on one hit in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of two Felician errors. Felician sliced its deficit in half during its turn in the first on an RBI double by junior catcher Shawn Vazquez (Millville, N.J.), but a spate of wildness by Golden Falcon starting pitcher Michael Gutierrez (Garfield, N.J.) (0-1) led to two more SNHU runs in the second.

Penmen junior Sam Henrie (Middleboro, Mass.) led off the third with a triple and scored on a Dakota Mulcay (Goffstown, N.H.) hit for a 5-2 edge. Gutierrez departed after four frames having thrown 87 pitches. He gave up five runs (two earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

With Felician's assistance, SNHU broke the game open in the fifth. The Golden Falcons committed back-to-back two-out errors to allow the Penmen to extend to a 7-2 edge. A solo home run by Christian Mercedes (Providence, R.I.) in the sixth and a three-run shot from Phoenix Hernandez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in the ninth completed the scoring.

SNHU senior right-hander Wesley Tobin (Portsmouth, N.H.) (1-1) logged seven innings. He gave up six hits, struck out six batters, and walked two. Penmen leadoff man Tom Blandini (Bow, N.H.) was 3 for 5. SNHU stole six bases in the game.

Senior shortstop Jasson Corniel (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) picked up a pair of hits and Vazquez drove in both runs for Felician.

The Golden Falcons play a non-conference doubleheader against the University of New Haven at 10:30 a.m. at the Ripken Experience on Saturday.