Box Score 1 | Box Score 2


Wayne, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team squared off against William Paterson University and split a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lions (18-13, 6-4) were edged in a tight battle in the opener, falling 4-3. They regrouped to earn a critical 11-6 win over the Pioneers (22-8, 6-4) to remain tied for third in the conference standings.
 
It was a special day for Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy). The senior catcher reached a rare milestone collecting his 200^th hit in the second game of the doubleheader with a single to center field. Galeotafiore joins an exclusive club as he is one of only nine players in Lions' program history to register 200 hits.
 
In addition, he entered the day with 52 career doubles and stroked an incredible five two-baggers on the day. Galeotafiore is now one double of shy of tying the program record of 58 held by Gerard Haran '07.
 
Game 1: William Paterson 4  TCNJ 3
 
It was a back-and-forth battle in the opener, but the Lions came up on the short end falling 4-3. Both teams played errorless baseball and were able to avoid the big inning. TCNJ scored runs in the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings, while William Paterson tallied single runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to scratch out the victory.
 
TCNJ took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Galeotafiore doubled down the left-field line to lead off the inning. Junior Michael Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) advanced the runner to third with a  deep fly ball to left before rookie Jacob Dewitt (Florence, NJ/Florence) singled up the middle on a two-strike pitch to score Galeotafiore.
 
The Pioneers evened the score in the fifth, but senior Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) walked to open the sixth. Galeotafiore roped his third double of the game and TCNJ had runners on second and third. Murphy singled to score Ruzich and the Lions regained the lead 2-1.
 
But single runs by WPU in the sixth and seventh gave them a 3-2 advantage. TCNJ starting pitcher Robert Graber (Franklin Lakes, NJ/Ramapo) did an outstanding job of controlling the Pioneer offense. They entered the game leading the NJAC in nearly every offensive category, boasting an average of nine runs per game and nearly 12 hits per game. Graber surrendered just three runs on six hits in seven innings of work. The junior right-hander struck out three and did not factor into the decision.
 
In the eighth inning, Ruzich singled and Galeotafiore and Murphy both walked. Dewitt tied the game with an RBI groundout, but William Paterson escaped without sustaining any further damage.
 
That would bite the Lions as A.J. Flores singled to right field to score Jack Montanile with two outs to give the Pioneers a 4-3. Tom Gaccione picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief as WPU held on for its 22^nd victory of the season.
 
Galeotafiore was a perfect three-for-three in the contest with three doubles and scored a run. Ruzich scored twice, while Dewitt drove in two. Freshman Benito Gonzalez (Perth Amboy, NJ/Princeton) suffered his first loss of the season out of the bullpen.
 
Game 2: TCNJ 11  WPU 6
 
Facing the possibility of being swept on the road, the Lions turned a tight game into a blowout, scoring seven runs in the fifth inning. The Pioneers did rally in the seventh to keep things interesting, but Gonzalez returned to the mound from game one to maintain order. In the victory, TCNJ score nine of its 11 runs with two outs.
 
After collecting three hits in the opener, Galeotafiore stood at the plate in the first inning of game two with 199 hits to his credit. He wasted no time picking up number 200 as he singled up the middle on a 0-1 pitch.
 
Trailing 1-0 in entering the third inning, the Lions broke through for three runs to take command of the game. With nobody on and two outs, junior Jonathan Gabriel (Orefield, PA/Parkland) singled to start the rally. He advanced on a wild pitch and Ruzich knocked him in with a base hit to right. Galeotafiore sent a two-strike pitch into the right-center field gap for a double and Murphy drove in the third run with a single up the middle.
 
The Lions made it a 4-2 game in the fourth when senior Ed Zakrzewski (Three Bridges, NJ/Hunterdon Central) walked, advanced on a single from sophomore Rob Vafiadou (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge), and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from junior Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-North).
 
Despite only needing three hits, TCNJ erupted for seven runs in the fifth. Six of those runs came with two outs as Gabriel kept the inning alive with a bases-loaded single that drove in two. After Ruzich reached on an error, Galeotafiore followed with a two-run double to give the visitors an 11-2 advantage.
 
Senior Eric Lewis (Mantagh, NY/W.C. Mepham) went five innings to capture his fourth win of the season. Lewis (4-2) allowed three runs on six hits and struck out a batter. Classmate Dominic Capuano (Ewing, NJ/Ewing) pitched a scoreless sixth inning before running into some trouble in the seventh. Gonzalez toed the rubber for his second appeared of the day and 13^th of the season and locked down the Pioneer offense.
 
Senior Mike Ham (Sparta, NJ/Pope John Paul XXIII) pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the Lions 18^th win of the season.
 
Gabriel had a banner day at the plate with a season-high four hits in four at bats with two RBIs and two runs scored. Murphy also had three hits, scored and knocked in a run, and Kelly chipped in with two RBIs. Galeotafiore finished three-for-four with three RBIs and two runs scored.
 
The Lions return to conference play in a home-and-home series beginning Thursday, April 18 at New Jersey City University as 3:30 p.m.  They host the Gothic Knights on Friday at George Ackerman Park.