Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team topped Rutgers University-Camden, 6-4 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference battle on Thursday afternoon in George Ackerman Park.
 
Veteran Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) came up clutch in the Lions' biggest game of the season to date, launching a grand slam home run down the left-field line to highlight a five-run third inning. Sophomore Brandon Zachary (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) earned the decision on the mound to raise his season mark to 6-0.
 
TCNJ captured its 11^th straight, matching a season-high win streak they posted earlier this season. They are now 25-4 on the season and 9-2 in the NJAC. RUC dropped to 18-10 overall and 5-6 in the conference.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs in the third, senior Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) ripped a hard single to right. Turner stepped up to the plate and lifted a towering fly to left that cleared the fence for his second home run of the season. He also reached and passed the 100-RBI milestone and now has 102 in his career.
 
In the fifth, the Lions tacked on a run. Roberts reached on an error and advanced to third base when Turner lined a single to center. Roberts later slid in safely on a play at the plate when he tagged on a line-drive sacrifice fly by Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh).
 
The Scarlet Raptors knocked on the door in the sixth by loading the bases with two outs. Zachary ran a 2-2 count and got the batter swinging for a crucial strikeout to end the inning.
 
Zachary threw six scoreless before the Scarlet Raptors rallied for four runs in the seventh. Two were charged to the sophomore right-hander as he finished his outing surrendering two runs and striking out three. Freshman Michael Fischer (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) came on in the seventh with a runner on second and one out. He recorded a fly out to left and struck out the next batter looking to maintain the Lions 6-4 lead.
The rookie right-hander pitched a perfect eight and scoreless ninth to register his first career save. He struck out two and ended the game on a 6-4-3 twin killing.
 
Tuner finished 3-for-4 with four RBI. Roberts scored a pair of runs, and Shindler made several fine defensive plays in the field.
 
Joe Brooks had three hits for RUC and Brett Venuto drove in two. Billy Jackson suffered the loss and dipped to 5-3 on the season.
 
The Lions match up against the Scarlet Raptors tomorrow (Friday) for the back-end of the home-and-home in Camden, NJ with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.