Felician Athletics - 4/12/08 BASEBALL - Freshmen Shine In Split With Bloomfield

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. -- Freshman infielders Hector Bello (Miami, FL) and Mickey Zudonyi (Holmdel, NJ) had five hits apiece during Felician College's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference baseball doubleheader split with host Bloomfield College on Saturday evening. After Bloomfield took the opener, 5-4, Bello and Zudonyi both doubled and homered in Felician's 9-1 Game 2 victory at Wright's Field.

Four Felician pitchers combined on a four-hitter in the nightcap, allowing the Golden Falcons (12-15, 5-5) to build an early lead and tack on. Zudonyi opened the scoring with his first career homerun, an opposite-field solo shot in the top of the third inning. A one-out solo homer by Bello ignited a four-run rally in the fourth, which Zudonyi highlighted with a two-out, two-strike, two-run double. Felician broke the game open with three more runs in the fifth.

Sophomore left-hander Al Jardine (Neptune, NJ) (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory with four shutout innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out three. Bello was 3 for 3 and Joey Algieri (New Milford, NJ) went 2 for 4 with two RBI. Sophomore Jeff Calabrese (Freehold, NJ) picked up his first career base hit in the seventh. Alex Sepulveda (Newark, NJ) drove in the Deacons' run with a sacrifice fly.

The Golden Falcons broke out of a recent offensive slump with 25 hits on the day, and the pitching staff did not allow an earned run. However, five unearned runs by Bloomfield in the fifth inning were Felician's undoing in Game 1. Dave Schoer's (Manalapan, NJ) two-run single in the top of the fifth had staked the visitors to a 3-0 advantage. But in the bottom half, the Deacons loaded the bases after two were out on a walk, a fielding error and a single.

Calabrese, the Golden Falcons' starting pitcher, gave way to lefty John Calise (Staten Island, NY) (2-1). Bloomfield's Kevin Lauranzon (Dissputanta, VA) grounded a two-run single through the left side, and Ricky Maldonado (Lakewood, NJ) followed with a three-run homerun to straightaway center field. Felician pulled to within 5-4 in the sixth, but John Whitley (Lake Mary, FL) escaped a bases loaded jam, and would record the last five outs to save the victory for reliever David Ricci (Jackson, NJ) (2-2).

Schoer was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI before being intentionally walked in the sixth. Zudonyi went 3 for 4 with three stolen bases and Bello was 2 for 4. Alex Munoz (Perth Amboy, NJ) and Edwin Pagan (Burlington, NJ) had two hits apiece for the Deacons (12-22, 3-8).

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box