Winter Haven, Fla … The College of New Jersey baseball team dropped a 12-5 decision to eighth-ranked University of Southern Maine on Saturday afternoon in Winter Haven, Fla.
 
Following eight straight cancellations, the Lions (0-1) finally got on the field to open their season. They battled a talented Huskie squad that rapped out 18 hits and improved to 5-1 this spring.
 
Senior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) collected a pair of hits and scored a run in the opener. Sophomore Ben Varone (Marlton Cherokee) also finished with two hits, while junior Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) drove in a pair of runs.
 
Southern Maine got off to a quick start as leadoff hitter Paul McDonough lined the first pitch of the game into the right-center field gap. He later came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sam Dexter to put the Huskies up 1-0 in the first.
 
In the second, the Southern Maine took advantage of some early-season miscues by the Lions' defense to build a 5-0 lead. They tacked on two more in the fourth when Anthony Capuano stroked a two-run single to right field t plate McDonough and Dexter.
 
The Lions broke through in the bottom of the fifth off Southern Main lefthander Tyler Leavitt. Varone led off the fifth with a double to left-center field. Junior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) followed with a base hit to left before Varone was cut down at the plate on a fielder's choice. Consecutive infield errors led to TCNJ's first run off of Leavitt. Roberts then ripped a hot shot to second that took a Florida hop into right field to plate Cocuzza and junior Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley).
 
Senior third baseman Michael Murray (Stewartsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg) delivered a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 7-4 game. Freshman Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) then stepped up and laced his first collegiate hit to left-center to score Roberts and suddenly it was a 7-5 game.
 
The Huskies responded with a run in the seventh, three in the eighth and added an insurance run in the ninth. Andrew Richards was credited with the win, tossing four and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief. He struck out two and allowed four hits, while Leavitt fanned four in four and third.
 
TCNJ Connor Smith (West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) suffered his first loss of the season. He pitched six and two-thirds innings, giving up four earned runs and striking out three. Senior Ryan Carmon (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) and freshman Chris Barcas (Wall, NJ/Wall) also pitched out of the bullpen for TCNJ.
 
The Lions are back in action tomorrow as they square off in a double header against St. Norbert College at Warner University in Lake Wales, Fla. The opening game of the twin bill is slated for 1:00 p.m.