Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey split a New Jersey Athletic Conference double header with New Jersey City University on Sunday in George Ackerman Park.
 
The Lions (23-8, 11-3 NJAC) won the opener 7-0, but fell 6-4 to the Gothic Knights (13-16, 4-10 NJAC) in the back-end game. Sophomore Joe Cirillo (Fairfield, NJ/DePaul Catholic) was magnificent once again. His consistency is uncanny, as he tossed his fourth consecutive complete game to move to 4-0 on the season.
 
Game 1: TCNJ 7  NJCU 0
 
Cirillo pitched his fourth consecutive complete game and struck out a career-high 10 for the third time this season. He scattered four hits and walked a pair and has now surrendered just two earned runs in his last 36 innings pitched.
 
CJ Gearhart Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) got the Lions on the board in the first inning, delivering a two-run single to left. They added two more in the fifth and two in the sixth. Austin Lindsay (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) drove a single to right-center to plate Gearhart and Patrick Anderson (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central).
 
Anderson, who has been sidelined with an injury, drove in two with a base hit to right-center in the sixth. He went 3-for-3 in the game with two RBI and a run scored.
 
Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) added to the lead in the eighth with an RBI single to left-center. He finished with two hits in the game as did Gearhart.

Cirillo closed out the ninth with a pair of Ks, including the final out of the contest. A pitcher who best known for his command, Cirillo now has 37 strikeouts in his last 36 innings pitched.
 
Game 2: NJCU 6  TCNJ 4

Gothic Knight right-hander Jose Ortiz came on in relief to throw four-plus innings of one-run ball to earn his first victory of the season. NJCU played errorless baseball and capitalized on scoring opportunities to hold off TCNJ for the win.
 
A triple to deep left-center off the bat of Thomas Persichetti (Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame) to lead off the first was an optimal start for the Lions in game two. He raced home on a wild pitch to put TCNJ up, 1-0.
 
The Gothic Knights answered with four runs in the second. The big blow was a bases-loaded single to left by Nick Ruscingno that cleared the bases. Left fielder Jacob Simon (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) fielded the ball cleanly and fired home. The ball was cut off by Lindsay and he wheeled and threw to the plate. Gearhart needed to try to swipe-tag the runner he ran to the outside of the plate. At contact, the ball flew out of his glove and out of play, allowing the third runner to score on the play.
 
The Lions manufactured runs in the fourth and fifth innings. After Shindler doubled and advanced on a wild pitch, Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) chased him home with a ground ball to second base on a ground ball to second. Danny Borup (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor South) delivered a sacrifice fly to score Ryan Fischer (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) and the Lions cut the deficit to one run.
 
The Gothic Knights strung together a base hit and a bunt single to open the sixth. Bill Feehan lifted a sacrifice fly to left-center to score Nick Logatto to stretch the lead back to 5-3. Logatto was then then on the opposite end of a sacrifice fly the next inning to make it a 6-3 score.
 
TCNJ threatened with runners on first and second in the seventh. With two outs, Gearhart hit a ball to right-center that center fielder Nick Rusigno made a diving catch to save at least one run.
 
Tommy McCarthy delivered a two-out, two strike line drive to right-center in the eight to score Linday. That closed the gap to 6-4, but Garcia retired the side in order in the ninth to seal the road win.
 
Persichetti was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. Lindsay and McCarthy chipped in with two hits. Michael Fischer (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) pitched six innings and struck out three. He suffered the loss and fell to 5-2.
 
TCNJ will visit Gwynedd-Mercy College tomorrow for a 3:30 p.m. game.