Glassboro, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team rolled to its eighth straight win as they toppled Rowan University, 9-2 on Thursday afternoon.

The #11 Lions improved to 22-6 this season and are a near-spotless 10-1 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play. The #30 Profs fell to 22-11 with loss and 6-5 in the NJAC. After struggling against Rowan in recent years, TCNJ has now won five straight, including a 4-3 victory in the 2016 NJAC Championship Tournament.

The Lions now hold a two-game lead in the conference standings. Rutgers-Newark and Ramapo College are tied for second at 8-3. A win tomorrow and TCNJ edges closer to securing an early berth into the post-season tournament.

Junior Brandon Zachary (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) won his second consecutive conference start and evened his season record to 3-3. He went six innings and struck out three, allowing four hits and one run. Sophomore Zac deRocco (Red Bank, NJ/Middletown South) entered with a 7-1 lead and gave up just one run in two innings pitched. Rookie Nickolas Kleftogiannis (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) tossed a scoreless ninth to seal the win. The bullpen has been rock-solid for the Lions as deRocco (2.06) and Kleftogiannis (1.38) gain more confidence with each appearance.

The offense was clicking as well, pounding out 14 hits. Five starters enjoyed multi-hit games, while Austin Lindsay (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) and Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) each knocked in three runs.

An RBI-single by CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) put the Lions up 1-0 in the first. A three-run second gave Zachary a healthy cushion to attack the Prof line-up. Lindsay was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run and Follet followed with a two-run single to center to plate Gearhart and Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh). That forced Rowan Head Coach Mike Dickson to pull starter Eric Sugars.

Leading 4-0 in the sixth, Lindsay stroked a double to left to chase home Shindler and Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). Gearhart chugged home on a wild pitch and TCNJ held a 7-0 advantage.

After Rowan got on the board with a run in the bottom of the frame, Varone got the run back with an RBI double to left. Gearhart scored for the third time in the eighth when Follet through the right side for the ninth run of the contest.

Sophomore Danny Borup (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor South) registered his first, three-hit game. He also scored a run and Shindler scored twice. Shindler drew a pair of free passes and has now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games.

TCNJ will host Rowan tomorrow on the back-side of the home and home series. The game will start at 3:30 p.m. in George Ackerman Park.