Washington, Pa. … The College of New Jersey exploded for an 11-run inning as they defeated St. Joseph's College of Long Island 15-5 at the 2016 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Tournament hosted by Washington & Jefferson College on Friday morning.
 
The victory keeps the regional championship hopes alive for the Lions (32-11), as they will now play the winner of the College of Wooster/Widener University match-up later this evening. The game is slated for 7:45 p.m., but will likely begin at a later time. The Golden Eagles (25-13) were eliminated from the tournament.
 
TCNJ took full advantage of 14 bases-on-balls issued by the St. Joseph's pitching staff along with four hit batsmen in the game. They walked in four batters, allowed two runs to score via wild pitch, and forced in another run with a hit batsmen.
 
While a portion of the contest was ugly, the Lions also produced some big hits in the game. Senior Patrick Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) ignited the offense with an RBI-double in the first. In the fifth inning and holding a 3-0 lead, senior Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) blasted a solo home run to left field. He drove a 3-2 pitch out of the ballpark for his fifth home of the season and 11^th of his career.
 
Sophomore Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) also authored a highlight moment when he smoked a bases-loaded triple to right-center field to clear the bases and put the game out of reach. It was the second triple of the day for Shindler and sixth of the season.
 
The round-tripper by Turner kicked off an 11-run inning for TCNJ. Shindler followed Turner with a triple to center field before six consecutive Lions reached base without putting the ball in play. A Robert's base hit made it 9-0 and a bases-loaded walk to Turner added another run. Shindler then cleared the bases and sophomore Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) singled to right to extend the lead to 14-0.
 
Sophomore right-hander Joe Cirillo (Fairfield, NJ/DePaul Catholic) was methodical in earning his eighth win of the season. He blanked the Golden Eagles for six innings, scattering six hits, and striking out six. Cirillo did not permit a single walk and needed just 71 pitches to raise his mound record to 8-2.
 
While advancement in the tournament was the singular objective, it was also a day of individual achievement for senior John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills). In the first inning, Rizzi was hit by a pitch for the 17^th time this season. That tied the single-season record in TCNJ program history held by Gerard Haran '07. Moments later, Rizzi stole second base, raising his career mark to 98 stolen bases. That tied the program mark held by Scott Kelly '13.
 
In the fifth inning, Rizzi was hit by a pitch again, breaking the career mark. He added one more to his record in the seventh and has now been hit seven times in the NCAA regional tournament. Through three games, Rizzi has done a remarkable job producing out of the leadoff spot. In 16 plate appearances, he has been on base 13 times, an on-base percentage of .812). Rizzi has stolen seven bases and scored six runs.
 
Roberts finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Shindler was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Turner scored three times and drove in two.
 
Freshman Zac deRocco (Red Banks, NJ/Middletown South) pitched the seventh and rookie Dylan Crowley (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) fired the final two innings of spotless relief, striking out two.
 
Following the Wooster/Widener game, Randolph-Macon and La Roche College will square off in the winner's bracket final.