Lions triumph in extra inning marathon in record heat, 8-7

The Lions wore their lucky green hats on St. Patty's Day!

Chandler, AZ…The No. 4 ranked Lions of The College of New Jersey baseball team rallied late in the game to tie the action and eventually posted an 8-7 win over Keene State College in 12 innings. Now 8-2, TCNJ’s baseball team will close their spring training trip on Sunday with a rematch with the No. 2 ranked Lyons of Wheaton College (MA) at 2:30 p.m. (MST), 5:30 p.m. (EST).

With the game tied at 7-7 in the bottom of the 12th inning, TCNJ’s senior Jeff Botti (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) led off with a single to right field and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville). Senior first baseman Blake Bullis (Delran, NJ/Delran) walked. Senior DH Gerard Haran (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge) struck out to make it two outs before senior second baseman Andrew Cosgrove (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon) walked to load the bases.

Keene State brought in a new pitcher, freshman Mike Riley (East Hartford, CT) replacing right fielder and relief pitcher, junior Greg Ford (Nashua, NH). His first pitch was a walk, before a passed ball allowed Botti to score and end the four and half hour contest.

Ford fell to 0-1 after 2.1 innings of work with no earned runs off one hit with two walks and five strikeouts.

Botti added the offensive support earlier in the game with a base clearing triple in the bottom of the seventh to give TCNJ a 7-5 lead. KSC answered back in the top of the eighth with two runs sending the game into extra innings.

Junior catcher Bill Kropp (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) drove in five runs in the game and was 3-6 with a run scored to help the Lions.

Junior pitcher Bob Buskett (Trenton, NJ/Notre Dame) started for the Lions and went 4.1 innings before being replaced by middle reliever, senior Dave Waseleski (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) worked 2.1 innings for the Lions. Senior Bill Opel (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) picked up his first decision in his fifth appearance of the season. Opel (1-0) gave up just four hits with a pair of earned runs and four strikeouts for the Lions in 5.1 innings of work.

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