Box score

Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey baseball team suffered its fourth straight setback as they fell to Rowan University 7-4 at George Ackerman Park.

The Lions (14-8/1-5 NJAC) played well enough to win, but the Profs (17-6/5-1 NJAC) came through with several key two-hits to earn their sixth straight win.

Sophomore Robert Graber (Franklin Lakes, NJ/Ramapo) pitched six quality innings for TCNJ, but dropped his first decision of the 2011 season. Graber scattered five hits and didn't walk a batter, but Rowan scored three times with two outs in the sixth to stain an otherwise spotless performance.

The Lions manufactured a run in the first to take an early lead. Sophomore Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor North) singled through the middle and promptly stole second base. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to deep left from Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy).

Graber was cruising through the first five innings, but Rowan strung together four, two-out hits in the sixth inning. Junior Marc Magliaro (Monroe, NJ/Monroe) lined an RBI single to left field to tie the game 1-1. He scored all the way from first when Brad Woodend (Medford, NJ/Shawnee) laced a double to right-center. Senior Scott Weaver (Ledgewood, NJ/Roxbury) stroked a base hit to center to score Woodend and the Profs had a 3-1 lead.

With two outs and nobody on in the seventh, Rowan put two more on the board in the seventh. Magliaro singled to center with the bases loaded to drive in two.

The Lions rallied to plate three runs in the bottom of the inning. Sophomore Mike Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) reached first on an infield single, stole second, and raced home on base hit to right-center off the bat of sophomore Andrew Priece (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan).

After a Prof error, Kelly reached base on an infield single to plate Priece. Pinch-runner Anthony Palmiotto (Manchester, NJ/Manchester Twp.) sped home from third after a failed pick-off attempt at first and the Lions cut the lead to 5-4.

Rowan answered back in eighth when senior Eric Newell (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights) lined a two-run single to left with the bases loaded to go up 7-4. The Lions put their first two runners on in the ninth, but senior closer John O'Hara(Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) retired all three batters he faced for his fourth save of the year.

Kelly finished with three hits on the day and Priece had a pair run-scoring singles.

The Lions visit St. Joseph's College (NY) on Tuesday before returning home to play Gwynedd-Mercy College in make-up game on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.