Box Score
Montclair, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team dropped a 4-0 decision to Montclair State University in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Thursday afternoon.
 
Sophomore Michael Macchia tossed a complete-game shutout to register his fourth mound-victory of the season. He scattered four hits and struck out five as the Red Hawks evened their record at 13-13 overall and moved to 7-4 in the conference.
 
The Lions fell to 16-11 on the season and dropped a game below .500 at 5-6 in the NJAC. Sophomore Evan Edelman (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) pitched all eight innings for TCNJ, but the offense was unable to push any runs across off Macchia.
 
MSU scored two runs in the first and two more in the eighth. In between, Edelman posted six straight scoreless innings to keep the contest in reach and hope the Lions bats would awaken. But baseball is by no means formulaic as Macchia was difficult to solve inning by inning. TCNJ reached second base only twice and was twice victimized by inning-ending double plays.
 
Freshman Philip Scott delivered a two-run single in the first to the Red Hawks an early lead. An error and hit batsman followed by a walk loaded the bases with one out. Scott stroked a base hit to right field to plate two runners.
 
Both pitchers registered blanks from the second through seventh innings. In the bottom of the eighth, an RBI-groundout by Scott and a run-scoring triple off the bat of senior P.J. Jennings provided Macchia with a four-run cushion in the ninth.
 
Senior Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) reached base on an error and junior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) singled to right to put two runners on in the ninth. But Macchia responded with three straight outs, closing out the game with a called third strike.
 
Cocuzza, Pat Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough), John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills), and Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) had hits for TCNJ. Edelman surrendered six hits and struck out four.
 
TCNJ will have another shot at Montclair State tomorrow. They host the Red Hawks at 3:30 p.m. in George Ackerman Park.