Chandler, AZ…The College of New Jersey baseball team broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the ninth to best Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday, 5-4. TCNJ is now 6-0 and ranked No. 4 in Division III, while JHU falls to 4-2.

TCNJ jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Blue Jays answered right back in the bottom half of the inning and the score remained tied,. 1-1 until the Lions added two in the top of the fourth. TCNJ never lost the lead, but JHU tied the score at 4-4 i9n the bottom of the seventh.

In the top of the ninth, TCNJ’s senior PJ Anzelone (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Township) led off with a single to right field and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bill Kropp (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts). Sophomore Vince Mazzaccaro (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) grounded out second and Anzelone moved to third on the play. With two outs, TCNJ’s junior Dave Mebs (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) singled to left field to drive in Anzelone and break the 4-4 tie before Jeff Botti flied out to left to end the Lions’ half of the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, JHU’s senior Ian Christie (Endicott, NY/Union) led off with a single to left field, before junior Matt Benchener (Newtown, PA/Holy Ghost) struck out swinging for the first out. Rookie Lee Bolyard (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) was out third to first on an infield play before junior Tony Margve (Randolph, NJ/Randolph) flew out to center to end the game.

TCNJ’s senior pitcher Brian Kraus (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy), this week’s NJAC Pitcher of the Week, started for the Lions and went five plus innings for the no decision. He yielded eight hits with two earned runs, a walk and a strikeout. He was replaced by sophomore Eric Gertie (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) who picked up the victory (1-0) after four innings of work with one earned run off five hits with three strikeouts.

JHU’s right handed sophomore Chez Angeloni (Jenkintown, PA/LaSalle College) took the loss after a complete game. He gave up five earned runs off 10 hits with two walks and four strikeouts in the outing to drop to 0-1.

At the plate, the Lions Anzelone finished with a 2-4 effort and a pair of runs scored, while Mebs was 3-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

JHU’s junior Rob Pietroforte (Brooklyn, NY/Berkeley Carroll) was 1-5 with a pair of RBI’s and a stolen base, while Christie was 3-3 with a run scored, and was 1-2 on stolen bases in the match-up.