Felician Athletics - 4/10/08 BASEBALL - Del Franco Hit Keys Game 1 Win At Nyack

NYACK, N.Y. – Three Felician College pitchers combined on a three-hitter and sophomore Jon Del Franco (Bridgewater, NJ) drove in two runs with a go-ahead third-inning single as the Golden Falcons defeated host Nyack College, 5-3, in Game 1 of the teams’ Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference baseball doubleheader on Thursday evening at Nyack High School. Felician lost Game 2, 1-0, despite a four-hitter by Albie Sanguiliano (Flemington, NJ).

In the opener, a Christian Almonte (Bayamon, P.R.) RBI single off of Felician starter Nick Riker (Highlands, NJ) (2-4) gave Nyack (6-16, 4-6) a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. But the Golden Falcons loaded the bases with one out in the third. Marcos Torres (Miami, FL) delivered a game-tying sacrifice fly, and, following a walk, Del Franco came through for a 3-1 Felician lead.

Riker departed after five innings with the same edge, having yielded two hits and three walks while striking out six. The Warriors’ Phil Messerian (Fair Lawn, NJ) drove in a run with a single in the sixth, but the Golden Falcons responded with a pair in the top of the seventh. Felician freshman Joe Brescia (Holmdel, NJ) then allowed an unearned run before recording the final three outs for his fourth save. Torres finished with a double and two RBI. Wayne Richardson (Wallington, NJ) allowed three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts in a complete game for Nyack.

After playing third base in Game 1, Messerian pitched a four-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts and three walks to help Nyack salvage the split. Roy DiLiberto (Collingswood, NJ) drove in the game’s only run with a fielder’s choice grounder in the fifth inning. Almonte began the home fifth with a single, was sacrificed to second, and had advanced to third on a single by Jonathan Mott (New Rochelle, NY).

Sanguiliano (0-1) struck out five and walked none in a complete-game effort. Mott finished 2 for 2 for Nyack, as did Torres for the Golden Falcons (11-14, 4-4).

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box