Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team dropped a 9-4 decision to Stockton University in New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Thursday afternoon in George Ackerman Park.
 
The Lions jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but the Ospreys scored nine unanswered runs to improve to 10-5 on the season and 2-1 in the NJAC. TCNJ dropped to 7-9 overall and 0-3 in the conference.
 
Dylan Warburton came out of the bullpen to pitch seven scoreless inning for Stockton and earn his second win of the season. He inherited a 4-0 deficit and kept the Lions' offense at bay for the final seven frames.
 
TCNJ came out swinging the bats, opening the bottom of the first with four consecutive hits. Junior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) ripped a double off the base of the fence in left and sophomore CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) followed with a base hit through the left side. Shortstop Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) doubled down the left-field line to score Rizzi and give TCNJ a 1-0 lead. Junior Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) then lined a base hit to right to make it a 2-0 game. Cocuzza came home on a double-play ground ball and the Lions quickly held a 3-0 advantage.
 
In the second, senior Michael Murray (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) singled up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After sophomore Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) stroked a base hit to left, Rizzi lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left-center to score Murray.
 
The Ospreys came to bat in the third and that half inning was the difference in the contest. They used five hits to tally six runs, four of which were unearned. A home run to left field off the bat of Keith Tappert in the fourth extended the Stockton lead to 7-4.
 
A two-out, two-run single to center by senior Erik Danser provided Warburton with all the cushion he would need. He allowed just six baserunners over the final five innings to secure the win.
 
Freshman Joe Cirillo (Fairfield, NJ/DePaul Catholic) pitched six and third innings, allowed five earned runs and struck out four. Junior Joseph DiLorenzo (West Orange, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) tossed the final two and two-thirds, limiting the Ospreys to two hits and struck out a pair.
 
Murray and Varone each finished with two hits for the Lions.
 
 
TCNJ will take another shot at Stockton tomorrow in Pomona, NJ. The conference game is slated to start at 3:30 p.m.