Ewing, NJ. … The College of New Jersey erupted for 11 runs in the sixth inning to spearhead a 12-3 victory over Ursinus College in their home opener on Thursday in George Ackerman Park.
 
The #17 Lions (8-3) scored a run in the fifth and 11 in the sixth to capture their first game since returning north. Junior Brandon Zachary (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) notched his first victory of the season, pitching six innings, striking out six, and limiting the Bears (8-3) to one run on four hits.
 
Three TCNJ starters collected three hits on the day. Juniors Patrick Anderson (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central), Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee), and freshman Jacob Simon (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) each delivered hits and scored runs. Anderson knocked in three, while Follet and Simon scored twice.

Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, rookie Thomas Persichetti (Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame) scored on a wild pitch to knot the score. The sixth was a zany inning that included eight hits, three walks, a hit batsman, and three defensive errors on one play. After Perischetti lined a single to left to put TCNJ ahead 2-1, Anderson followed with a run-scoring single. Bases loaded walks to Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) and Alex Christian (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) stretched the lead to 5-1. With the bases still loaded and nobody, CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) hit a ground ball to short. He double-clutched and threw home, but the ball got away from the catcher. Shindler hustled from second and when the catcher threw home, the ball skipped past the pitcher covering home. The Bears third baseman raced to gather the overthrow as Christian raced around to score. He threw wildly to the plate, allowing Christian to score and Gearhart ended up on third.
 
The inning continued as 16 batters came to the plate. Anderson stroked his second hit of the inning that drove in two before Shindler capped the outburst with an RBI-single to right.
 
The trio of Dylan Crowley (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge), Zac deRocco (Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South), and Nickolas Kleftogiannis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) took care of the final three innings. Crowley struck out one, deRocco fanned a pair, and Kleftogiannis needed just three pitches to close out the ninth.
 
TCNJ will host Franklin Marshall College this Saturday in a non-conference double header. The first game is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. at George Ackerman Park.