Box Score

 Montclair, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team fought back from a 3-0 deficit to gain a critical road victory as they defeated Montclair State University 7-4 in New Jersey Athletic Conference action.
 
A day removed from a disappointing home loss, the Lions (14-16, 6-6 NJAC) bounced back to even their conference record. The win puts them in fifth place along with Richard Stockton College as they enter a pair of home games tomorrow against Rutgers University-Camden. The Scarlet Raptors are in seventh place at 5-7.
 
TCNJ received a much-needed shot in the arm from the top of their line-up as the first five hitters combined for nine hits and six runs scored. The Lions also took advantage of what was given as the Red Hawks were guilty of five errors in the field. Junior Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) did an outstanding job as the second leadoff hitter perched in the nine-hole, lacing three singles in the game.
 
Junior Brendan Kelly (Butler, NJ/Butler) was effective in slowing down an MSU offense that had compiled 15 hits the day before. He battled through a rocky start to contain the Red Hawks to four runs (three earned) on eight hits. It was the sixth win of the season for Kelly as he raised his season record to 6-2. Freshman William Worswick (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) worked the ninth to register his fourth save of the season.
 
The Red Hawks (12-13, 4-7-1) picked up where they left off after a 13-run outburst yesterday as Jose Padilla belted a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first. They scored two more runs in the second on an RBI ground out, and a run-scoring single off the bat of Connor Abreu made it a 3-0 game.
 
The Lions dusted off and got to work loading the bases with nobody out in third. Dispoto and senior Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-North) singled and freshman Mark Mari (Bayonne, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) was hit by a pitch. Veteran Michael Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Dispoto. With runners on first and third, Kelly stole home and TCNJ drew within a run.
 
Lou Martini delivered a base hit up the middle to score Mike Tolerico and make it a 4-2 game. But a three-run fifth by the Lions gave them their first lead of the series. Mari doubled to left to spark the rally and later scored on an infield error. Murphy, who was aboard on a single, scored when on a throwing error by the catcher when Limon stole second base. With two outs, junior Paul Searles (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) stroked a go-ahead base hit to right field to plate Limon and TCNJ held a 5-4 lead.
 
Two more runs in the sixth stretched the lead to 7-4. Shortstop Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) singled to score Kelly and later came home on another Red Hawk miscue in the field.
 
Kelly did not allow a run after the fourth and handed the ball over to Worswick to close it out. The first two MSU hitters reached base, but a clutch 4-6-3 double-play threw a wet towel on the rally. A routine ground out to second base ended the game as TCNJ secured a crucial triumph.
 
Kelly, Mari, Cocuzza, Murphy, and Searles all collected two hits in the game. Kelly scored a pair of runs and stole a base. The Lions finished with 14 hits in the win.
 
TCNJ returns home for doubleheader against Rutgers University-Camden tomorrow beginning at 11:30 a.m.