Box score

Union, NJ ... The College of New Jersey baseball team lost its second round game of the New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament to Kean University 6-1.

The Lions (21-18) now play Rowan University at Rowan on Saturday, May 8 at noon. The Profs eliminated the Ospreys with a 10-7 win.

TCNJ had its bats held in check by Cougar starter Nick Cesare, who tossed a complete game victory limiting the Lions to five hits on offense. TCNJ did take a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) crossed the plate after senior Ryan Anzelone (Vernon, NJ/Vernon) singled. But the lead was short-lived.

Kean (30-10) came back with three in the bottom of the fifth inning, all with two outs. Starter Greg Spatz (Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) cruised through the first fourth frames and had two outs and nobody on in the fifth. A Ryan Gibbons double followed by a Steve Giambrone single tied the game 1-1. 

The Lions then got generous with a walk and two errors and the Cougars took a 3-1 lead. Kean tacked on two more in sixth when Gibbons hit a two-run single to left-center field, and another in the seventh to push the lead to 6-1.

After a Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor North) single led off the fifth inning, TCNJ was held hitless the remainder of the game by Cesar. Kelly and Anzelone finished with two hits a piece while freshman Mike Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) also collected a hit or the Lions. Senior A.J. Adamczyk (Brielle, NJ/Manasquan) pitched one and two-thirds innings of shutout relief.

TCNJ will look to awaken the bats and tighten up its defense as they move onto Saturday in defense of their 2009 NJAC championship.