PHILADELPHIA  – Powered by three third-inning home runs, the Felician University baseball team earned a 10-5 victory over host Thomas Jefferson University in Game 1 of the teams' Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. Jefferson rebounded for a 5-0 Game 2 triumph.

The scores were among several CACC results on Saturday that impacted the conference playoff races. At day's end, Felician secured at least second place in the CACC North Division. The Golden Falcons would need to gain a game on Post University on Sunday to share the division regular-season title, and would need two victories and two Eagle losses to earn the outright division crown and advance directly to the main draw of the conference championship tournament, scheduled for May 12-14.

Both games on Saturday were scheduled seven-inning contests. After two scoreless frames, Felician (21-20, 14-9 CACC) broke through with a six-run third. Following a leadoff single by Alex Torres (Jackson, N.J.), freshman catcher Luis De La Cruz (Jersey City, N.J.) and junior first baseman Edwin Tavarez (Garfield, N.J.) launched consecutive home runs. The Golden Falcons put two more runners on base before Andrew Florides (Glen Cove, N.Y.) cracked a two-out three-run roundtripper to left field.

The visitors plated two more runs in the fourth on an RBI double from Shawn Vazquez (Millville, N.J.) and a run-scoring groundout from Chris Fernandez (Boca Raton, Fla.). The insurance proved important when the Rams struck for five runs in the home half of the fourth, capped by a three-run homer from Arturo Figueroa (Harrisburg, Pa.).

Freshman left-hander Mekhi Sanchez (Vineland, N.J.) came on in the fifth in place of Felician starting pitcher Ralph Gambino (Malanapan, N.J.) (2-5) and kept the Jefferson offense at bay. Felician tacked on single runs in the sixth and seventh stanzas, and Sanchez yielded an RBI double to Efrain Santiago (Moca, Puerto Rico) before recording the final out for his second save.

Vazquez was 3 for 5 with two doubles and drove in two runs and Florides finished 2 for 3 for the Golden Falcons. Ryan Sawyer (West Deptford, N.J.) and Justin Espinal (Bay Shore, N.Y.) collected two hits each for Jefferson (22-19, 13-9).

The nightcap belonged to Jefferson right-hander Jem Sisco (Southampton, N.Y.) (3-2). The redshirt sophomore tossed a four-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts, including eight consecutive batters during the middle innings. He walked two and hit one. Felician did not have a runner reach third base.

Alex Gonzalez (Eatontown, N.J.) opened the scoring with a second-inning RBI single. One out later, Lucas DeStefano (Atco, N.J.) homered for a 3-0 Ram lead. Santiago hit a two-out, two-run homer in the third for what proved to be the final margin.

All four Golden Falcon hits were singles, including two by Tavarez. Santiago was 2 for 3 to pace Jefferson.

Felician concludes the CACC regular season with a home doubleheader against Dominican (N.Y.) College on Sunday at 11 a.m. at Overpeck County Park in Palisades Park, N.Y.