Union, NJ … The College of New Jersey dropped a 7-3 decision to Rutgers University-Camden, eliminating the Lions from the 2015 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
 
TCNJ put together an admirable run in the conference tourney by winning its first two games. But they came up on the short end on Saturday with an 8-6 loss Kean University followed by the setback against the Scarlet Raptors.
 
The Lions competed in the NJAC tournament for the 18^th consecutive season and eighth straight under head coach Dean Glus.
 
Loser's Bracket Final
 
Rutgers-Camden 7  TCNJ 3
 
The Scarlet Raptors jumped out to a 6-0 lead. They scored two in the second and rallied for four in the fourth. The big blow was a bases-clearing triple by Jon Theckston followed by a Joe Brooks RBI-single.
 
The Lions got on the board in the bottom of fourth. Senior Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) and junior Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) singled and Cocuzza moved to third when he tagged up on a foul ball to right field. Senior Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) drove a fly ball to right field to score Cocuzza.
 
In the fifth, TCNJ put two more on the board with just a single hit off the bat of Matt Facas (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park). A fielding error and a wild pitch allowed Facas and junior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) to score.
 
Rutgers-Camden tacked on a run in the ninth. Freshman pitcher Carter Fichter went all nine innings and struck out seven.
 
Senior Ryan Carmon (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) started for the Lions and went four innings. Classmate Benito Gonzalez (Perth Amboy, NJ/Princeton) pitched the final five innings, the longest stint of his career. He surrendered just one run and struck out one.
 
Winner's Bracket Final
 
Kean 8  TCNJ 6
 
The College of New Jersey baseball team dropped an 8-6 decision to Kean University in the winner's bracket final of the 2015 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.
 
TCNJ got off to a good start, taking a 1-0 lead in the second. Second baseman Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) singled to left field to drive in Josh Limon.
 
In the third, the Lions increased their advantage to 2-0. Junior Patrick Roberts singled to open the inning. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Anthony Cocuzza and moved to third on an infield error. Senior Michael Murray (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg) hustled out a fielder's choice to plate Roberts.
 
Kean had two big innings in the fourth and sixth. They used five hits to score four runs to take the lead in the fourth. After a scoreless fifth, the Cougars rapped another four hits to score three runs and take a 7-2 lead. They tacked on another in the seventh.
 
The Lions got that run back in the seventh. Varone reach on an error and moved to second on a walk to John Rizzi. Cocuzza ripped a single down the left-field line to score Varone.
 
In the ninth, TCNJ applied pressure. The first four batters chalked up hits to score a pair of runs. Varone singled and Rizzi doubled to put runners and second and third. Junior Mark Mari (Bayonne, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) stroked a base hit up the middle to score Varone and Cocuzza laced a single to left to plate Rizzi.
 
Kean recorded an out, but junior Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) singled to right to keep the rally going. That chased Richie Ferguson, who earned the win and did a solid job out of the bullpen. Limon reached on an error to make it an 8-6 game, but Chris Amato got the final two outs for the save.
 
Cocuzza and Varone each had two hits in the game.
 
TCNJ was assisted this season by Joe Caria and Rich Gawlak.