Box Score

  
Chester, Pa … Freshman Evan Edelman (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) and a trio of rookie batsmen led The College of New Jersey baseball team to a 12-4 victory over Widener University in Chester, Pa.
 
Edelman (1-0) pitched eight innings, scattered seven hits, and struck out four to capture his first collegiate decision. Freshman Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) belted his first career home run and rookies Mark Mari (Bayonne, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) and Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) each contributed three hits to the help the Lions (9-9) to their third straight triumph.
 
The Lions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second when junior Justin Ely (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) stroked an RBI-double to score sophomore Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep). Mari delivered a two-out single up the middle to plate Ely with the second run of the game.
 
The Pride (9-12) evened the score in the third. A two-double by Alex O'Dell drove in Sam Christie and Marc Moyalis followed with a run-scoring single to tie the game 2-2.
 
Senior Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-North) put TCNJ back on top in the fourth with an RBI-single to center to score Mari, who was on base after his second hit of the game. In the fifth, they increased the lead to 4-2 when Roberts turned on a pitch and knocked it over the right field fence for his first round-tripper of the season.
 
Widener tied the score once again in the bottom of the sixth, but the Lions came back with a four-spot in the sixth. A sacrifice fly by Roberts put TCNJ back in front before the Pride defense buckled to enable three more runs to cross the plate. Patience at the plate also assisted the Lions as they took advantage of ten bases on balls by the Widener staff.
 
Edelman remained steady, retiring nine of the last ten hitters he faced. His control was critical as issued just on free pass in eight frames.
 
Four more runs by the Lion offense in the ninth put the game out of reach. Mari drove in a run with his third hit of the game and junior Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) knocked in two with a single up the middle. TCNJ finished with 11 hits in the game, five of which came from the leadoff batter in the inning.
 
Freshman William Worswick (Mountainside, NJ/Governor Livingston) pitched a scoreless ninth, retiring the side in order. He struck out the final batter of the game.
 
TCNJ continues conference play this Thursday when they open a home-and-home series at Rutgers-Newark at 3:30 p.m. The Lions host the Scarlet Raiders on Friday in George Ackerman Park at 3:30 p.m.