Felician Athletics - 5/5/07 BASEBALL - Noval Sparks Felician's Game 2 Comeback, Sweep of USP

PHILADELPHIA -- Sophomore Jordan Noval (Manalapan, NJ/Manalapan) hit a game-tying three-run homerun and a go-ahead RBI single as Felician College scored 12 unanswered runs for a 15-11, ten-inning Game 2 victory and a sweep of its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference baseball doubleheader with host University of the Sciences in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon at Richie Ashburn Field. Felician took Game 1, 11-4, and had 39 hits in the twinbill.

With the victories, Felician (23-23, 10-6), earned a tie for second place in the CACC, and the No. 3 seed in next week's conference tournament. The Golden Falcons have won a season-high five consecutive games.

Felician fell behind, 7-1, after one inning of the nightcap, and trailed, 11-3, through six. But the Golden Falcons loaded the bases with no one out in the seventh, and Noval delivered a two-run double to highlight a four-run rally. In the eighth, Felician once again put their first three runners on base. Kenny Vanderhee(Aventura, FL/Dr. Michael Krop) drove in one run on a sacrifice fly, and two batters later, Noval launched a long homerun to right center field to make the score 11-11.

Noval broke the tie with a one out single in the 10th, plating Frank Quintana (Miami, FL/South Miami), who had walked and stole second. Felician would break the game open on a two-run double by Anthony Spina (Toms River, NJ/Toms River North) and an RBI double from Mike Libretta (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic). Relievers John Brady (Bricktown, NJ/Brick Memorial), Spina and Jeff Calabrese (Freehold, NJ/CBA) combined for 4 2/3 innings of no-run, two-hit relief, with Calabrese (4-1) working the final two innings for the victory.

Noval finished 5 for 5 with three runs scored and six RBI. Melendez went 4 for 5 with a double to complete a 7 for 9 doubleheader. Quintana scored four runs, and his solo homer in the third inning was his 59th RBI of the season, a Felician record. Philip Maher (Norristown, PA/Norristown) went 3 for 4 with two RBI and Christopher Longo (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) was 2 for 5 with three RBI for the Devils.

Junior right-hander Nick Riker (Highlands, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) (4-1) threw Felician's first complete game of the season in the opener. Riker allowed four earned runs on 11 hits, struck out eight batters and walked none. He was given the lead in the third inning, as the Golden Falcons erased an early 2-0 deficit on a throwing error followed by a Quintana two-run homer. Felician pulled away with a four-run sixth inning and tacked on four more in the eighth.

Quintana, Melendez and Marcos Torres (Miami, FL/South Miami) had three hits apiece for Felician. Longo went 3 for 4 and Phillip Cox (Riverton, NJ/Riverside) hit a solo homer for the Devils (5-25, 3-13).