MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  – Late solo home runs by senior Nick Vincelli (Waretown, N.J.) and graduate student Jake Hall (Hopatcong, N.J.) provided what proved to be key insurance runs as the Felician University baseball team held on for a 10-8 non-conference victory over Mercy College during the Northeast Challenge on Friday afternoon at the Ripken Experience complex.

Felician (2-3) is ranked No. 8 in the preseason NCAA Division II East Region writers' poll.

The game featured six home runs, including four by the Golden Falcons. The Mavericks outhit Felician, 12-9, but the Golden Falcons drew 10 walks and were twice hit by pitches. Felician freshman designated hitter Luis De La Cruz (Jersey City, N.J.) was 3 for 5 with a double and three runs batted in, and senior shortstop Jake Stoller (Merion Station, Pa.) went 2 for 3, scored twice, and stole two bases.

Felician, the designated away team, jumped on top, 3-0, in the top of the first inning on a RBI single by De La Cruz followed by Dauri Genao's (West New York, N.J.) two-run home run. Junior Edwin Tavarez (Garfield, N.J.) blasted a solo homer in the third, and De La Cruz's run-scoring double highlighted a three-run fourth as the Golden Falcons moved ahead, 7-0. Felician senior left-hander Darwin Matos (Clifton, N.J.) (1-1) yielded a two-run roundtripper to Mercy junior Justin Glennerster (Staten Island, N.Y.) in the bottom of the fourth but departed after five innings with an 8-2 lead.

That score held until a pinch-hit homer by Vincelli in the eight gave the Golden Falcons a seven-run edge. But the Mavericks mounted a late comeback against the Felician bullpen. Mercy received a pinch-hit RBI double by James Mattuat (Huntington, N.Y.) and a run-scoring triple from Robert Wootten (Ardsley, N.Y.) during a three-run eighth inning uprising, but the frame ended when Felician catcher Shawn Vazquez (Millville, N.J.) cut down a runner on a steal attempt.

Hall hit a solo shot with one out in the ninth to make the score 10-5 in favor of Felician. Then, for the second time in the final two innings, Mercy brought the tying run to the plate after bringing home three runs. But Dylan Morrill (Teaneck, N.J.) recovered to induce a flyout and a fielder's choice grounder.

Jaden Caballero (Newburgh, N.Y.) was 3 for 4 with a home run and Mattuat went 2 for 2 off the bench for Mercy (2-3). Matos gave up two runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks in his five innings of work.

Felician plays a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday against Southern Connecticut State University in Myrtle Beach.