Box Score

Allentown, PA … The College of New Jersey baseball team rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to sweep a doubleheader at Muhlenberg College on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions (9-4) blew out the Mules (6-7) by a score of 23-0 in the opener before stringing five hits together in the ninth inning of game two to complete the sweep. The pair of wins gives TCNJ a modest four-game winning streak and they are victorious in six of their last seven games.

Junior Connor Smith (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) tossed a complete-game shutout in the opener, his second in as many starts.

Game 1: TCNJ 23 Muhlenberg 0

Led by stingy pitching by Smith (3-0) and 22 hits from the offense, TCNJ ran away with the game early on. They produced back-to-back, seven-run innings in the fourth and fifth and held a 21-0 l lead after six innings.

Smith registered his second consecutive complete-game shutout. He has now thrown 18 scoreless innings for the Lions and is five innings shy of the program record of 23 innings that was matched by teammate Steven Volpe (Cherry Hill, NJ/Eastern Regional) last year. Volpe shares that record with Brian Dudeck '94.

Pitching with a comfortable lead throughout the contest, Smith scattered six hits over nine innings and struck out five. He walked none and has only walked one batter in his last two outings.

Sophomore Pat Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) had the biggest day of his budding career, stroking four hits and driving in four. Robert's day at the plate included two singles, a double, a triple, and three runs scored.

Junior Mike Murray (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) and sophomores John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills), and Matt Facas (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) all had three hits in the game. Murray and Rizzi both crossed home plate four times and Facas drove in three runs and scored twice.

There were 11 different Lions who collected hits in the game. Senior Justin Ely (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) stepped to the plate in the ninth for his first at bat of the season and deposited an offering over the left-center field fence for his first home run in a TCNJ uniform.

Juniors Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St.Augustine Prep) and Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) also had two hits in the win.

Game 2: TCNJ 9 Muhlenberg 7

The Lions took command early as sophomore Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) launched his second home run of the season in the second inning

They tacked on two more in the fourth as Cocuzza started a rally with his first of four hits in the game. Ely cracked a double to left to plate Cocuzza and Roberts delivered his second triple of the day to make it a 3-0 game.

The Muhlenberg bats finally woke up and got two back in the bottom of the inning. The Lions tallied single runs in the fifth and sixth, but the Mules tied it up with three runs in the sixth. Ryan Hopes belted a two-run home run that served as the equalizer.

The game settled down over the next two innings, but TCNJ put up a four-spot in the ninth. Rizzi singled, stole second, and came home with the go-ahead run off of a Cocuzza base hit. Three straight, two-out singles from Limon, Roberts, and Murray gave the Lions a healthy cushion entering the ninth.

The Mules chipped away with two runs, but sophomore Evan Edelman (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) got the final batter to strike out looking for this first win of the season. He pitched three-plus innings in relief and fanned four. Volpe struck out six in five and one-third innings of work.

Cocuzza had three singles and a double, while Ely, Murray, and Roberts all had two hits.

Senior Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) had two hits in the twinbill and now has 99 in his career.

TCNJ has now scored 42 runs in its last three games.

TCNJ has a couple days off before hosting Arcadia University on Tuesday, March 25 in George Ackerman Park at 3:30 p.m.