Box score
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey baseball won a critical New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up as they defeated Rutgers University-Camden 7-3.
The Lions (18-17, 9-7 NJAC) scored all seven runs off two-out hits and received another strong performance from junior Connor Henderson (Monmouth Jct., NJ/South Brunswick) to win their third straight and improve their position in the NJAC standings. TCNJ entered the game in three-way tie for fourth place in the conference.
The Lions put a run up in the first to take an early lead. Sophomore Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) returned to the line-up after being sidelined for four games and hit an RBI single to right field scoring Ed Zakzrewski (Three Bridges, NJ/Hunterdon Central) who had tripled.
After a Matt Hunt (Marlton, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) single in the first, Henderson didn't allow a hit until the fifth, when he allowed three consecutive safeties with one out. But the crafty junior worked out of trouble getting a strikeout and a groundout to maintain a 1-0 advantage.
Locked in a pitcher's duel into the sixth, TCNJ broke the game open with a pair of clutch, two-out hits to score four runs. Sophomore Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) stroked a base hit to left to score Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor North), who started the rally with a leadoff single.
The big blow came off the bat of senior Ryan Anzelone (Vernon, NJ/Vernon).With the bases loaded, Anzelone hit a line drive to right-center for a double to drive in two runs. Freshman Nick Cifelli (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) came home on the play due to some heads-up baserunning and the Lions had pushed their lead to 5-0.
The Scarlet Raptors responded with two runs in the seventh. An RBI groundout by John Santilli (Folsom, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) followed by a run-scoring single by Kyle Ballay (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West). Henderson, however, got his 12th groundball out of the day to strand two runners and leave the game with a 5-2 lead.
A two-out double in the seventh by Galeotafiore stretched the lead to 7-2. In the eighth, Anzelone lined a base hit to right field for the 100th hit of his career.
Henderson improved to 7-1 pitching seven innings, allowing two runs, and striking out five. Senior A.J. Adamczyk (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan) and junior Joe Marchitelli (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) combined to pitch the final two innings.
Hunt had four hits on the day for Rutgers-Camden while Jaime Williams (Vineland, NJ/Delsea Regional) had two hits.
The Lions return to Ackerman Park tomorrow (Saturday) to take on conference opponent Montclair State University in an NJAC doubleheader beginning at 11:30 a.m. The Scarlet Raptors will play host to Ramapo College.
