Box Score

Ewing, NJ –The College of New Jersey's baseball team hosted Muhlenberg College on Wednesday in the Lions' home opener. TCNJ would rally to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth after trailing 3-1 when they took to the plate in the bottom of the inning. The game was called as a 3-3 tie due to darkness after nine full innings. TCNJ is now 5-6-1, while Muhlenberg is now 5-9-1.

TCNJ's senior third baseman Vince Mazzaccaro (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) put the Lions on the board first with an RBI single to score senior dh Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville) in the bottom of the third inning.

Muhlenberg tie the game when senior Christian Conti (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph-by-the-Seas) collected his first homerun of the year on a solo shot to left center field. The Mules would go ahead 3-1 in the top of the fifth after sophomore Jeff Pulkin (Bala Cynwyd, PA/Lower Merion) and senior Eric Hammond (Branchburg, NJ/Somerville) both walked and both moved up on a passed ball that allowed Pulkin to reach third base.
Junior Eric Pomroy (Essex, CT/Valley Regional) would single deep center field collecting a pair of RBis for the Mules.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Lions would get one run back as Mazzaccaro led off with a walk and stole second and advanced to third on the throw. Rookie short stop James Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberley) had a sacrifice fly to left field to score Mazzaccaro and make the score Muhlenberg 3-2.

In the bottom of the ninth with two outs, senior Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester) would draw a walk of the Mules' reliever, senior Matthew Ordog (Tabernacle, NJ/Florence Township). Tussey stole second and Toth would collect a single to second base and the game-tying RBI before Mazzaccaro would fly out to end the ninth.

For the game, Toth was 3-4 with four stolen bases and an RBI, while Conti was 2-4 for the Mules with an RBI and a strong defensive play mid-way through the game which halted a Lion scoring opportunity.

TCNJ's senior Dan Anderson (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) started for the Lions in the home opener and threw 4.1 innings with three earned runs off three hits with three strikeouts. Sophomore Joe Marchitelli (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) would work 4.2 innings of strong relief with a pair of hits and three strikeouts.

Muhlenberg's sophomore Kevin Witmier (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain) threw seven innings for the Mules with five strikeouts off four hits and an earned run. Ordog worked two innings with a pair of earned runs and three walks and three strikeouts.

TCNJ returns to action on Thursday hosting Ursinus College in a 3:30 p.m. contest., while Muhlenberg hosts ST. John Fisher on Friday at 4 p.m.