Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Ewing, NJ…The College of New Jersey baseball team earned a split with visiting Rutgers University-Newark on Saturday as the teams played a pair of one-run games at George Ackerman Park.
The Scarlet Raiders held off the Lions 5-4 in the opener, while TCNJ returned the favor in the second game holding on for a 2-1 victory.
TCNJ is now 8-9-1 on the season and 1-2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, while Rutgers Newark is 2-1 in conference play and 11-6 overall.
The Lions continue NJAC play on Monday, March 30 with a single game at Rutgers University-Camden, while the Scarlet Raiders are also in action hosting New Jersey City University. Both games start at 3:30 p.m.
Game 1
Rutgers-Newark 5, TCNJ 4
The Scarlet Raiders scored four times in the fifth inning and then held off a late charge by the Lions to claim the opening game of the twin bill.
TCNJ senior Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville) singled up the middle to plate classmate Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester) putting the hosts in front 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning.
Rutgers-Newark to the lead in the top of the sixth as Steve Giordano (Fair Haven, NJ/Rumson-Fair Haven) plated Matt Lingo (Mechanicsburg, PA/East Pennsboro) with a triple and then scored on a Lion miscue. The Scarlet Raiders added two more runs in the inning as Patrick Reitemeyer (Kearny, NJ/St. Mary's) hit a two-run homer to right making it a 4-1 game.
The visitors added another run in the sixth as Michael DiCenso (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) brought home a run with a ground out.
TCNJ needed only one swing of the bat to pull within a run in the last of the seventh as freshman Andrew Priece (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) lofted a three-run home run to left field. That homer was his first as a Lion.
Ryan Williams (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) earned the win and improved to 4-0 on the year for the Scarlet Raiders and Michael Hansen (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) picked up his five save of the season.
Junior Chris Esperon (Union, NJ/Union Catholic) had a solid game for TCNJ going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
Game 2
TCNJ 2, Rutgers-Newark 1
In the second game, the teams traded runs early with the visitors striking first in the top of the opening frame as Anthony Yeswita (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) plated a run on a ground out.
TCNJ countered with a run in the latter half of the second to knot the score at a run apiece as Matt Baumann (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) singled home Lenny Racco (Paramus, NJ/Paramus), who had reached base with his first collegiate hit.
In the Lions took the lead for good in the sixth as Tussey led off with a double and came around to score on a single by Toth.
Sophomore Connor Henderson (Monmouth Junction, NJ/South Brunswick) provided TCNJ with another quality start going 8-1/3 innings allowing one run on six hits. Eric Gertie (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) recorded the final two outs for his fourth save of the season.
Billy Cerruti (Oceanport, NJ/Shore Regional) suffered the loss for Rutgers-Newark despite allowing only the two runs in seven innings.
Defense played a big key in the game for the Lions as they turned four double plays and Racco made a diving catch at first base on a line drive that ended the fifth inning and saved a run.
Senior Brian Gill (Wall, NJ/Wall) had three hits in the loss for the Scarlet Raiders.
