PALISADES PARK, N.J.  – The Felician University baseball team was held to a combined seven base hits while losing both ends of its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader to visiting Wilmington (Del.) University on Friday afternoon at Overpeck County Park. Wilmington earned an 11-3 Game 1 victory before capturing Game 2, 3-2. Both contests were scheduled seven-inning affairs.

Wilmington (20-6, 12-2 CACC) is in first place in the CACC South Division and ranked No. 6 in the most recent NCAA Division II East Region writers' poll. Felician fell two games behind Post University for first place in the CACC North Division; the Golden Falcons and Eagles meet for the first of three games this season on Tuesday, April 19.

Felician (14-17, 8-6) opened the scoring in Friday's initial game. With one out, senior Andrew Florides (Glen Cove, N.Y./Holy Cross) worked a walk and advanced on a passed ball. He came home one out later on a single by Dauri Genao (West New York, N.J./Memorial).

But Wilmington broke the game open with a six-run fourth, aided by two Felician errors. After Matt Warrington (Millsboro, Del./Sussex Tech) put the Wildcats ahead with an RBI single, freshman Shawn Edevane (New Castle, Del./St. George's Tech) struck the big blow, a three-run home run. John Mead (Washington Township, N.J./Bergen Catholic) lined a run-scoring single later in the inning.

That was all the room needed for Wildcat pitcher Ryan Sandberg (Island Park, N.Y./West Hempstead). The senior right-hander went the distance on a two-hitter, and all three runs he gave up were unearned. Sandberg (6-1) struck out 13 Golden Falcons while walking one. He threw 101 pitches, 77 for strikes.

Mead was 3 for 5 with four RBI for Wilmington. Felician freshman Luis De La Cruz (Jersey City, N.J./Bergen Catholic) had an RBI double in the seventh inning. Golden Falcon graduate right-hander Ralph Gambino (Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Township) (1-4) took the loss despite all six runs he allowed being unearned.

Wilmington junior right-hander Kyle Maxwell (Wilmington, Del./Conrad) and Felician senior righty Michael Gutierrez (Garfield, N.J./Garfield) were locked in a duel through five innings of the nightcap. The Wildcats struck first in the top of the third inning when Nic Herzfeld (Middletown, Del./Delaware Military Academy) led off with a single, stole second base and continued to third on an errant throw, and scored on Warrington's sacrifice fly. Felician drew even in the fourth on a solo home run from Edwin Tavarez (Garfield, N.J./Garfield).

The Golden Falcons turned to freshman Logan Waltz (Hazlet, N.J./Raritan) to start the sixth. After a leadoff single and a sacrifice, the Wildcats reached Waltz (4-3) for consecutive RBI doubles by Shawn Haut (New Castle, Del./Hodgson Vo-Tech) and J.J. Killen (Frankford, Del./Indian River). Felician started its half of the sixth with three singles, including a run-scoring hit by Genao, but freshman Alex Krick (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) entered to pitch and preserved the Wildcat lead.

Junior A.J. Stento (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) retired Felician in order in the seventh for his CACC-leading seventh save. Gutierrez recorded nine strikeouts and one walk and yielded four hits in a no-decision.

Felician faces Post at 2 p.m. on Tuesday in Palisades Park.