Winter Haven, Fla … The College of New Jersey baseball team opened its southern swing with a bang as they defeated Roger Williams University 12-2 at the Lake Myrtle Baseball Complex.
 
The win raises the Lions season record to 3-0, while the Hawks dropped to 6-5.
 
The senior class led the way as Steven Volpe (Cherry Hill, NJ/Eastern Regional) fired a complete game, while Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) and Matt Facas (Florham Park, NJ/Hanover Park) each drove in four runs.
 
The offense pounded out 15 hits in the game and were extremely efficient with runners on base. They were 9-for-18 in RBI opportunities and were 18-for-28 in advancing runners. The defense also played spotless baseball, highlighted by exceptional outfield play. Center fielder John Rizzi (Millington, NJ/Watchung Hills) showcased his range making six putouts to provide Volpe with the confidence to attack the strike zone throughout the game and keep his pitch count down.
 
Hitting, pitching, and defense are all simpler to execute with a lead, and Turner took care of that in the top of the first. With two outs and sophomore Patrick Anderson (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) on third, Turner drilled a 3-2 fastball over the left-field fence to give the Lions an early 2-0 lead.
 
Roberts opened up the third by scorching an 0-2 pitch to right field. The ball bounced past the right fielder and Roberts raced all the way to third. Turner followed his round tripper by pushing a bunt for a single to plate Roberts.
 
Shortstop Zach Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) followed with a base hit to left field, and Turner eventually came home on a sacrifice fly from Facas. It was the fourth sacrifice fly of the season for Facas.
 
A triple off the bat of sophomore Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) followed by a ground single to left by classmate Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) extended the TCNJ lead to 5-0.
 
In the meantime, Volpe blazed through the first five innings. He needed just 39 pitches to record the first 15 outs.
 
The Hawks touched Volpe for a pair of runs in the sixth. A pair of hits batsmen, a double steal, and back-to-back sacrifice flies pushed two runs across to make it a 5-2 game.
 
The Lions responded with seven runs in the top of the eighth to put the game away. Rizzi and Roberts lined run-scoring singles and Turner lifted a sacrifice fly for fourth RBI of the day. Facas grinded out an at bat and ripped a 2-2 pitch down the left-field line to clear the bases for a three-run double.
 
Volpe pitched the ninth for his first win of the season and 10^th of his career. He scattered four hits and struck out five.
 
Shindler and Rizzi finished with three hits, while Roberts, Turner, Follet, and Varone each had two hits.
 
The Lions are back in action tomorrow when they take on Fitchburg State University for a doubleheader beginning at 1:30 p.m.