Senior Day Program Insert
Game # 1 Box Score
Game #2 Box Score
Ewing, NJ…The No. 9 ranked Lions of The College of New Jersey recorded a sweep over the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers University-Newark on Saturday in George Ackerman Park. TCNJ is now ar28-8 overall, while finishing with a 14-4 record in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Newark is now 12-25 overall with a 7-10 NJAC record. TCNJ brings an 11-game win streak into the 2007 NJAC playoffs which open on May 3.
GAME #1 TCNJ 4-1 RUN
Rutgers-Newark scored first in the top of the fifth inning when senior John Farmer (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) doubled to left center and was driven in on an RBI by sophomore catcher Gerard Russomanno (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley).
The Lions answered right with four runs in the bottom half of the inning off five hits and held on for the win in the contest. Leading the way in the bottom half of the innings was senior PJ Anzelone (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Township) who led off with a triple to center field and was driven in on an RBI single by junior Bill Kropp (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) to tie the score. Junior short stop Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville) added a two run homerun before senior Jeff Botti (Avenel, NJ/Colonia) reached on a double to left center and scored on an RBI single by senior Andrew Cosgrove (Lebanon, NJ/North Hunterdon) giving TCNJ a 4-1 lead after knocking starting pitcher, freshman Dan Nordase (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) from the game.
Nordase would go 4.2 innings with four earned runs allowed on 10 hits with five strikeouts in falling to 1-2 on the year. Senior pitcher Matt Kimbell (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) worked 3.1 innings in relief with only one hit and four strikeouts in the outing.
For the Lions, junior Bob Buskett (Trenton, NJ/Notre Dame) picked up a complete game win to improve to 5-1 after allowing just one run with seven strikeouts.
For the Lions in the first game, Botti was 3-3 with a run scored before forced to leave in the top of the sixth inning when he collided with PJ Anzelone on play in the outfield and would not return, nor would Anzelone after a 2-4 effort. Toth added a 2-5 effort with two RBI’s and a stolen base.
GAME #2 TCNJ 11-5 RUN
After the two team exchanged leads four times, TCNJ broke open the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead for good. In the bottom of the fourth inning the Lions added three sole homeruns to tie the game at 3-3 as Haran led off with a solo shot to left, followed by Cosgrove’s sole blast to left and after one out, junior Dave Mebs (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) added a solo shot, all off starting pitcher freshman Jack Winters (Oradell, NJ/River Dell).
Haran would add another homerun in the eighth inning to add to both his active career homerun and RBI records. For the season, Haran now has 12 homeruns, elevating his career total to 47, while adding four more RBI’s in the night cap to bring his total to 208.
Haran was 3-5 in the game with two runs scored and four RBI’s, while Toth added a 2-4 effort with two runs scored, two RBI’s and a pair of stolen bases.
Senior first baseman Blake Bullis (Delran, NJ/Delran) holds TCNJ’s career hit mark and now has 224 hits to his credit.
For the Scarlet Raiders, senior Brent DiMarco (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) was 3-4 with a pair of RBI’s, while junior Doug Ford (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) was 2-4 with a run scored.
Winters took the loss on the mound and is now 0-8 after 5.1 innings of work with six earned runs off nine hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
For the Lions, junior Brad Kittle (Millville, NJ/Millville) went three plus innings with no decision before junior Mike Oliver (Crosswicks, NJ/Hamilton West) collected the win in relief after 4.2 innings of work. Oliver allowed just one run off seven hits with four strikeouts to improve to 5-0 this year. Seniors Brian Kraus (Feasterville, PA/Neshaminy) and Bill Opel (Bayonne, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) each worked a scoreless inning for the Lions in the regular-season finale.
