Senior Day

Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball won its second straight game as they defeated Rutgers-Newark 11-4 on Friday afternoon. Seven seniors suited up for their final home contest in George Ackerman Park.
 
The victory kept the Lions (15-15, 8-8 NJAC) in sixth place in the standings with two games remaining on the schedule. They possess a two-game lead over seventh-place Stockton University, but need to win at least one game tomorrow to clinch a playoff berth should the Ospreys sweep the Scarlet Raiders tomorrow.
 
Three seniors got the job done on the mound for the Lions. Ryan Carmon (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery), Benito Gonzalez (Perth Amboy, NJ/Princeton), and John Spinapont (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) stepped forward to ensure the conference triumph at home. In a spot-start after throwing an inning of scoreless relief yesterday, Carmon went five innings and struck out four. Gonzalez tossed three and two-thirds innings before Spinapont struck out the final batter of the game, facing his final hitter on the hill at George Ackerman Park.
 
TCNJ got on the board in the opening frame. A perfectly placed bunt by junior Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) allowed Mark Mari (Bayonne, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) to score and give the Lions a 1-0 lead in the first.
 
The top of the line-up struck again in the third. Junior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) led off with a single and stole second base. After Mari walked, senior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) dropped down a bunt that he beat out for a base hit. The ball was thrown away at first, allowing Rizzi to score. Junior Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to extend the lead to 3-0.
 
RN's Carlos Cruz delivered a bases loaded sacrifice fly in the fourth to trim the lead to 3-1.
 
Rizzi scored his second run of the game in the fifth. He was hit by a pitch, moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mari and stole third. Cocuzza stroked a base hit up the middle for his 29^th RBI of the season.
 
A five-run sixth inning put the game away for TCNJ. The inning was highlighted by a two-run triple off the bat of Turner. He drilled a shot to right-center, plating Mari and Cocuzza to punctuate the 12-hit attack by the Lions' offense.
 
In the seventh, Rutgers-Newark closed the gap to 10-3. Anthony Peconte drew a walk and Daniel Iannaccone tripled down the right-field line. He came home later on a 5-4-3 double play.
 
Roberts tripled to center and came home to score on a passed ball to cap the scoring for TCNJ. They tallied 20 runs in the home-and-home series with the Scarlet Raiders.
 
Cocuzza finished with three hits in the game and now has 177 for his career. Rizzi and Mari both scored three times and Turner knocked in three runs. Senior Michael Murray (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) went 2-for-5 in his last home game, while senior Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
 
TCNJ visits Montclair State University tomorrow for an NJAC doubleheader. The first game is slated for an 11:30 a.m. start.