Box Score

Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team dropped an 8-3 decision to William Paterson University in the second round of the 2014 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament on Friday afternoon in George Ackerman Park.
 
The Pioneers (14-21-1) scored seven unanswered runs to eliminate TCNJ from post-season contention. WPU advances in the tourney and takes on Montclair State University tomorrow at Rowan University.
 
Junior right-hander Kevin Cowan tossed four innings of scoreless relief to earn his second win of the season. Lions' starter Connor Smith (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) struck out five, and fell to 6-2 on the year.
 
The Pioneers struck first with a run in the third. Chris Santaniello and Tyler Garguilo stroked back-to-back singles. With two outs in the inning, Trevor Haughney delivered a base hit to left to score Santaniello from second and give WPU a 1-0 lead.
 
The Lions answered back with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) legged out an infield single to put runners at the corners with one out. Sophomore Pat Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) drove a double over the center fielder's head to plate Rizzi. Junior Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) followed with a long sacrifice fly to left-center to score Cocuzza and edge ahead 2-1.
 
Roberts singled with one out in the fifth. He advanced on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third base on a wild pitch. An infield error by the Pioneer defense allowed Roberts to score and stretch TCNJ's lead to 3-1.
 
WPU tied the game in the sixth with a pair of unearned runs. With runners on second and third, Alex Derner knocked in a run with a ground ball to second base. Mike Abate followed with a single to even the score at 3-3.
 
The game remained locked at three until the Pioneers plated three runs on four hits in the eighth. Haughney, who finished 4-for-4 in the game, opened the inning with a base hit. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt, Haughney raced to third on a base hit by Jimmy Kenny. The ball was mishandled and Haughney came around to score with the go-ahead run. Derner followed with a two-run double to take a 6-3 lead.
 
WPU tacked on two more in the ninth. A two-out single to right by Kenny notched another a run before the final run of the game scored on a throwing error.
 
Rizzi had an outstanding game on offense with four hits and his 22^nd stolen base of the season. Roberts also had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Junior Ryan Carmon (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) pitched the final inning and a third for the Lions and struck out a batter.