Box Score


Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team defeated Widener University 6-3 on Tuesday afternoon at George Ackerman Park.
 
The Lions (13-9) received a strong pitching effort from senior Dominic Capuano (Ewing, NJ/Ewing), who earned his second win of the season. The Pride dropped to 13-11 on the season.
 
Junior Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-North) led TCNJ's offense with three hits, a pair of stolen bases, and a run batted in. Senior Jimmy Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) had two hits in the game, while freshman Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St.Augustine Prep) knocked in a pair.
 
Both teams traded unearned runs in the third inning before the Lions erupted for four runs on five hits in the fifth inning. Sophomore Paul Searles (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) lined a base hit to left field with one out and moved to second base when classmate Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) ripped a base hit to right. Kelly then crushed a first-pitch fastball off the top of the fence in left field to score Searles.
 
Cocuzza then lofted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Dispoto. Ruzich roped his team-best eighth double of the season to left field to score Kelly before Michael Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island) capped the offensive outburst with a long triple to center field to make it a 5-1 game.
 
Widener was able to get two back in the sixth, but that was all the runs they would generate on the day.
 
Capuano went six innings in his first start of the season. He gave three runs (one earned) and struck out five, limiting the Pride to four hits. Capuano threw 57 strikes in 85 pitches and did not walk a batter.
 
TCNJ tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Senior Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) drilled a base hit to center field to lead off the inning. Freshman Jacob Dewitt (Florence, NJ/Florence) moved pinch-runner Dominic Forcella (Parlin, NJ/St. Joseph's) to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Searles grounded a ball to short that was thrown away, and Forcella raced home to extend the lead to three runs.
 
Freshman Benito Gonzalez (Perth Amboy, NJ/Princeton) pitched two scoreless innings in relief before senior Mike Ham (Sparta, NJ/Pope John Paul XXIII) closed out the ninth for his fourth save of the season.
 
Kelly is hitting .393 on the season and is now 23-of-26 in stolen base attempts this season.
 
The Lions will jump back into New Jersey Athletic Conference competition on Thursday, April 5 when they host 15^th-ranked Rowan University. The game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at George Ackerman Park.
 
Note: Ruzich made a spectacular play at first base with one out in the third inning. On a ball hit deep in the shortstop hole, Cocuzza gloved and threw across the diamond. With the first baseman stretching, the ball caromed off the lip and he made a bare-handed catch to get the runner by a step. Ruzich has just one error this season and has save several more.