Box score

Reading, PA... The College of New Jersey baseball team snapped one streak and extended its own as they defeated Alvernia University 6-1 on Monday.

Despite a six-day layoff, the Lions (13-2) won their ninth straight game thanks to another sterling performance by senior Connor Henderson (Monmouth Jct., NJ/South Brunswick) and back-to-back home runs by junior Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) and sophomore Michael Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech). The Crusaders (15-2) entered the game with a 15-game winning streak, but fell victim to a TCNJ baseball team that has been firing on all cylinders.

Senior Jason Zegarski (Lawrenceville , NJ/Lawrence) extended his hitting streak to 18 games and sophomore Nick Cifelli (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) smoked a bases-clearing double in the eighth inning to ice the Lions' 13th win of the season.

Henderson (4-0) pitched six scoreless innings, limiting Alvernia to six hits while striking out five. His season ERA dropped to 0.47 and he now has a career record of 19-3.

Alvernia's pitching staff entered the game with a 1.62 team ERA and they followed suit blanking TCNJ through the first five innings. The Lions had a chance to jump out to a lead in the first when they loaded the bases, but were unable to capitalize. Zegarski and junior Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) both singled through the left side and after Murphy walked, the bases were soaked. But Crusader starting pitcher Mike Moran got the final out to escape the early jam.

Henderson coasted through the opening frames, but Alvernia's Chris Gehris doubled to left in the fourth and moved up to third after a sacrifice bunt. The veteran right-hander beared down to strike out Travis Wrambel to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Galeotafiore connected for his second home run of the season to give TCNJ a 1-0. Moments later, Murphy launched his first round tripper of 2011 to bump the lead to 2-0.

A sacrifice fly by sophomore Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor North) gave the Lions a three-run advantage, but the Crusaders got on the board with a run in the seventh. TCNJ responded in the top of the eighth by loading the bases for Cifelli and he promptly drilled an offering to left-center field to make it a 6-1 score.

Sophomore Robert Graber (Franklin Lakes, NJ/Ramapo) was touched for a run in two innings of relief and struck out five. Senior Joe Marchitelli (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) fanned two while recording the final three outs to secure the win.

The Lions return home tomorrow (Tuesday) when they host Messiah College at George Ackerman Park.