MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  – A tiebreaking two-run double by junior first baseman Edwin Tavarez (Garfield, N.J.) in the bottom of the fifth inning held up as the difference as Felician University defeated Southern New Hampshire University, 5-4, in non-conference baseball action during the Northeast Challenge on Thursday evening at the Ripken Experience complex.

Southern New Hampshire (0-1) is ranked No. 11 in the most recent national NCAA Division II writers' poll and No. 9 in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper version. The Penmen were the top team and Felician No. 8 in the preseason East Region writers' poll.

Four Felician pitchers combined on a six-hitter with 12 strikeouts and three walks. SNHU ended four innings by having runners thrown out on the basepaths, the last three by Golden Falcon freshman catcher Luis De La Cruz (Jersey City, N.J.).

After Felician graduate right-hander Ralph Gambino (Manalapan, N.J.) struck out all three hitters in the top of the first inning, the Golden Falcons, the designated home team, took advantage of some early wildness by SNHU graduate righty Josh Roberge (Chelmsford, Mass.) to plate three runs on one hit in the bottom half. Felician loaded the bases with one out on an error sandwiched by two walks before senior Shawn Vazquez (Millville, N.J.) drew another base on balls to open the scoring. Junior Chris Fernandez (Boca Raton, Fla.) followed with a two-run single for a 3-0 edge.

Gambino (1-1), meanwhile, allowed no hits through four innings. A runner reached on an error in the third but was erased trying to tag up and score on a strong throw from right fielder Fernandez. In the fifth, however, the Penmen drew even on a two-out, three-run home run by graduate center fielder Idelson Taveras (Lawrence, Mass.).

Felician quickly rebounded. De La Cruz led off the bottom of the fifth walk and Dauri Genao (West New York, N.J.) followed with a single. Tavarez's two-bagger to right center brought home both runners. Tavarez was left stranded and Felician failed to pick up another hit for the balance of the night, but the Golden Falcon bullpen made the lead stand up.

Freshman Logan Waltz (Hazlet, N.J.) pitched two frames. He yielded an unearned run in the seventh but escaped a two-on, one-out jam with a pair of strikeouts. Senior Michael Gutierrez (Garfield, N.J.) worked around a two-out double in the eighth before issuing a leadoff walk in the ninth. He gave way to freshman Dylan Morrill (Teaneck, N.J.), who struck out the next two hitters. The game then ended when De La Cruz cut down pinch-runner Nick Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) when Sheehan tried to advance on a would-be wild pitch. Morrill was credited with his first collegiate save.

Senior Sam Henrie (Middleboro, Mass.) was 2 for 3 plus a walk for SNHU. Roberge struck out 11 and walked five in six innings, giving up three hits. Felician (1-3) ended a 13-game losing streak to the Penmen dating back to 2014. The Golden Falcons host SNHU in a three-game weekend series Mar. 5-6.

Felician's five-game trip to Myrtle Beach continues Friday with a noon start against Mercy College.