Box Score
Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team suffered a 3-2 loss to Messiah College in 12 innings on Wednesday afternoon at George Ackerman Park.
 
Catcher David Sletta drove a sacrifice fly to center field in the top of the 12^th to score Jacob Sprengle with the winning run. The loss dropped the Lions to 16-10 on the season, while the Falcons improved to 13-11.
 
Senior Paul Broomell threw five innings of scoreless relief to register his first win of the season.
 
TCNJ had its chances, leaving 13 runners on base in the game. But credit the Messiah pitching staff and defense for keeping the Lions scoreless over their final nine offensive frames.
 
TCNJ got on the board in the second. Pat Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) singled to right and Jake DeWitt (Florence, NJ/Florence) drew a free pass. Freshman CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) dropped down a successful sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third with one out. Rookie Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field and the Lions manufactured a 1-0 lead.
 
In the third, they pushed ahead 2-0. Sophomore Mark Mari (Bayonne, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) reached on an infield error and raced to third when junior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) doubled to right-center. Sophomore Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) tagged a full-count pitch up the middle to drive in Mari. Cocuzza attempted to score but was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Andrew Eyster. That proved to be a critical play in the contest.
 
The Falcons cut the lead in half in the fourth. Derek Drake was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a base hit by Sprengle. Drake crossed home plate when Josh Good delivered a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
In the sixth, Good belted a two-out double to center field to score John Griffitts, who had singled earlier in the inning. That tied the game 2-2.
 
Junior right-hander John Spinapont (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) left the game after seven strong innings on the mound. He scattered four hits and struck out five and pitched well enough to win.
 
Junior Michael Correa (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp.) pitched two near-perfect innings in relief for TCNJ. He didn't allow a hit and struck out two. Correa hit one batter in the ninth, but fanned the next hitter looking and got a fly out to center to end the inning.
 
In the 10^th and 11^th innings, junior Benito Gonzalez (Perth Amboy, NJ/Princeton) took the ball and faced six batters and recorded six outs. Gonzalez got four ground ball outs and two fly outs to keep the Falcon offense at rest.
 
In the 12^th, Sprengle singled to start the inning. Steven Nicolias laid down a sacrifice bunt and the ball was thrown, allowing both runners to advance to second and third with nobody out. Sletta then hit a deep ball to center to plate Sprengle. Lions' pitcher Ryan Carmon (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) was able to get the final two outs without any further damange.
 
Broomell retired the side in the order in the 12^th to secure the win.
 
Turner finished with three hits on the day, while Cocuzza collected a pair of hits.
 
TCNJ visits Montclair State University for a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up starting at 3:30 p.m. They return home on Friday to take on the Red Hawks at 3:30 p.m. Messiah hosts Stevenson tomorrow in Commonwealth Conference game at 3:30 p.m.