Box Score Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team opened New Jersey Athletic Conference play with a 4-2 victory over Rutgers-Newark on Thursday afternoon in George Ackerman Park.
 
The win was the seventh straight for the Lions (12-4, 1-0 NJAC), who have not lost a contest since returning from their Florida trip. Sophomore Evan Edelman (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) chalked up his second win of the season and junior Michael Murray (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) finished with three hits in the game.
 
The Scarlet Raiders fell to 0-1 in league play and 6-13 overall.
 
TCNJ jumped out to a lead in the first as sophomore John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) led off with a walk and quickly stole second base. Senior Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) followed with a base hit into short center field that Rizzi had to hold to see it drop in safely. The ball was misplayed and Rizzi turned on the jets and raced home with the game's first run.
 
In the third, the Lions stretched the lead to 3-0. Dispoto ripped a one-out single to center field. Junior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) followed with his team-leading ninth double of the season up the right-center gap to plate Dispoto. Classmate Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) then drilled a two-out double into the left-field corner to score Cocuzza to make it a 3-0 game.
 
Edelman was cruising along until the fifth when the Scarlet Raiders struck for a pair of runs. Jason McCluskey (Woodland Park, NJ/ Passaic Valley) doubled down the left-field line and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Center fielder Ryan MacFarlane (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp) hit a ball hard to third (that was ruled an error) and McCluskey came home to score RN's first run. After MacFarlane advanced on a passed ball, he came around to score on a base hit from sophomore Vincent Troisi (Hackensack, NJ/Hackensack) to cut the lead to 3-2.
 
The Scarlet Raiders threatened again in the seventh, but Edelman was able to work out of trouble. Troisi worked a two-out walk and Michael Murray (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) lined his second hit of the game to center field. Edelman was able to get a fly ball out to end the inning and maintain the one-run advantage.
 
Edelman exited with a line of seven innings pitched, four hits, two runs, and four strikeouts.
 
Junior southpaw Michael Correa (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Twp.) got the first out before allowing an infield single. He then induced a ground ball to Cocuzza, who stepped on the bag and fired to first for the inning-ending double play.
 
TCNJ added an insurance run in the eighth. Limon doubled for the second time down the left-field line. Murray delivered a clutch single to right-center, his third hit of the game to score Limon. Jimmy Napolitano made a great diving effort in right field, but the ball landed safely and the Lions had their fourth run.
 
Correa recorded the first out of the ninth before issuing a free pass. He netted his second ground ball double play in as many innings as a 5-4-3 twin-killing secured his first save and the Lions 12^th win.
 
Dispoto also finished with three hits in the game and Limon had two doubles. RN's Murray had two hits on the day.
 
TCNJ visits Rutgers-Newark tomorrow at 3:30 before returning home to face Kean University for an NJAC doubleheader on Saturday. The Lions will celebrate Military Day and Family Day with festivities beginning at 11:15 a.m.