Box score

Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey baseball team got back on track with an 8-5 win over visiting Stevens Institute of Technology. 

The Lions (16-17) got back to their winning ways after dropping their last four contests. The win serves TCNJ well as they received timely hitting, solid defense, and good pitching in the win. The Lions were in need of a positive performance as they prepare for its biggest three-game set of the season when they host conference opponents Rugters University Camden and Montclair State University on Friday and Saturday.

TCNJ got off to a quick start with three runs in the first. Freshman Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor North) lined a base hit to left field to spark the offense. Junior Jason Zegarski (Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) drove him in with a base hit to left-center before freshman Nick Cifelli (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) laced a two-run double to right-center field to push the lead to 3-0.

The Lions tacked on run in the second when Kelly doubled and rumbled home on a Zegarski single.

Kelly then made it a 5-0 game when he stroked his second double of the game to right-center, driving in junior Anthony Palmiotto (Manchester, NJ/Manchester Twp.) who had been hit by a pitch.

Down by six entering the fourth, Stevens battled back as Anthony Andrews (Hampton Bays, NY/Hampton Bays) and Ed Daniele (Colts Neck, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) hit back-to-back singles. After Tom Phillips (Spring Lake Heights, NJ/Manasquan) walked, Mark Rasulo (Irvington, NY/Irvington) ripped a bases clearing double to make it a 6-3 game.

The Ducks (12-18) scored two more in the sixth on RBI singles from Cory Linden (Hawley, Pa/Wallenpaupack Area) and Andrews closing the gap to 6-5. But Lions freshman Mike Murphy (Staten Island NY/Staten Island Tech) belted his second home run of the year, a two-run shot to left-center to give TCNJ an 8-5 cushion.

Sophomore Dom Capuano (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) picked up his second win of the season working six innings and striking out six. Freshman Will Wohland (Succasunna, NJ/The Hill School) pitched two perfect innings of relief and junior Joe Marchitelli (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) picked up his first save of the season.

Zegarski finished the game with four hits and two RBIs while Kelly had three hits and three runs scored.

The Lions return to Ackerman Park tomorrow to host Elizabethtown College in a non-conference game starting at 3:30 p.m. Stevens will play host to Rochester Institute of Technology in a conference doubleheader on Saturday, May 1.