Pomona, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team opened a busy week in positive fashion as they fought past Stockton University 7-6 in a 10-inning New Jersey Athletic Conference affair on Monday afternoon.
 
It was a wild game as the Lions (8-9, 1-3 NJAC) let a late lead slip away. But the offense came through with a pair of runs in the tenth and the defense hung on to close out their first NJAC victory of the season. The extra-inning triumph stifled a four-game skid for TCNJ as they won their first of seven conference contests in the next seven days.
 
With two outs in the tenth inning, seniors Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) and Michael Murray (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) stroked back-to-back doubles to break a 5-5 tie. Junior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) legged out an infield single to score Murray, which turned out to be the difference as Stockton plated a single run in the bottom of the frame.
 
Sophomore closer Eric Teesdale (Statford, NJ/Sterling) pitched the final two and two-third innings to notch the first win of his collegiate career. Junior right-hander Steven Volpe (Cherry Hill, NJ/Eastern Regional) was terrific for the Lions as he tossed seven-plus innings to put TCNJ in position for the big win.
 
The game was scoreless through the first three frames, but TCNJ broke through in the fourth. With one out, sophomore Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) worked a walk and moved to second when senior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) singled to left. Junior Pat Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) ripped a base hit to center and the Lions were up 1-0. Limon came up with runners on first and second and ripped a double down the left-field line. Cocuzza and Roberts hustled home to stake Volpe with a 3-0 advantage.
 
The Ospreys came back with a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Lions tacked on two more in the fifth. Sophomore CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) singled to right field and was standing on third after a base hit Rizzi. Rizzi swiped his eighth base to put both runners in the scoring position. Cocuzza chased home both teammates with a single to left to stretch the lead to 5-1.
 
Volpe cruised through the fifth and sixth innings before working out of a jam in the seventh. He recorded an out in the eighth before handing the ball over Teesdale with the bases loaded. Teesdale registered a big strikeout, but a pair of clutch hits by Stockton tied the game at 5-5.
 
Teesdale returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth and quickly retired the Ospreys in order to send the game to extra innings. Stockton put its first two runners on board in the 10^th, but an unassisted double play by Varone put the Lions one away. The Ospreys edged closer with an unearned run, but Teesdale got Kevin Tappert to fly out to center to end the game.
 
Limon finished with three hits (two doubles), drove in two and scored a run. Rizzi and Cocuzza each had two safeties.
 
TCNJ will have the next two days off before returning to NJAC competition on Thursday. They host Rowan University at 3:30 p.m. in George Ackerman Park.