Senior Day Program

NJAC Baseball Championship Central

Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team clinched the top seed in  the 2017 New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with a double header sweep of Kean University on Senior Day in George Ackerman Park.
 
The Lions (27-10, 15-3 NJAC) claimed the regular season championship for the first time since 2002 and will host William Paterson University in the opening round on Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. TCNJ defeated Kean 14-1 in the opening and completed the sweep with a 9-4 win in game two.
 
Junior right-hander Joe Cirillo (Fairfield, NJ/DePaul Catholic) threw his fifth consecutive complete game to move to 5-0 on the season. Cirillo allowed an unearned run and struck out three for his fifth straight victory. He now owns a 1.15 earned run average and a career record of 19-3 and is now tied for sixth all-time in program history.
 
Michael Fischer (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) was the winner in the nightcap and improved to 6-2 this season. Patrick Anderson (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) had another big conference weekend, going 6-for-9 with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) went 4-for-8 with four RBI and crossed home plate four times. Freshman Jacob Simon (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) drove in five on the day with four hits and also scored a pair of runs.
 
 
Game 1: TCNJ 14  Kean 1
 
A six-run inning and a seven-run inning took care of business for the Lions in the opener. They compiled 13 hits in the game Anderson leading the way with three hits. Follet roped two triples in the game and drove in four, while Simon, Thomas Persichetti (Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame), and CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) each had two hits.
 
The opening inning was a sign of things to come as Anderson singled, stole second, and raced home a base hit to right from Gearhart. The game remained tight and the Cougars tied it up with an unearned run in the fifth.
 
Tommy McCarthy (Allentown, NJ/Allentown) ignited the six-run rally in the fifth. He singled and Persichetti and Anderson followed with safeties. Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) lifted a sacrifice fly to left-center to put the Lions back on top, 2-1. Gearhart reached on a two-out error and the flood-gates opened. Austin Lindsay (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) drew a bases loaded walk and Follet laced a two-run single to center. Simon ripped a pitch back through the box to chase two more runs and TCNJ was suddenly up, 7-1.
Two innings later, the Lions put up seven more to lock up game one. Follet had the big blow with a two-run triple to right-center, along with a Persichetti double that plated two more.
 
Working with more than enough run support, Cirillo retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced to seal the win. The middle infield play of Shindler and Ben Varone (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) was critical in the early goings. They turned double plays in the first and fourth innings, allowing Cirillo time to settle into a groove in the middle through late innings.
 
Game 2: TCNJ 9  Kean 4
 
The outcome was in question deep into the nightcap, until the Lions broke it open with five runs in the seventh. Fischer was sharp in gaining his sixth win of the season. He worked eight innings, walked one and struck out one.
 
Steve Santigate put the Cougars on top in the second when he drove a 2-0 pitch over the left-center field fence. TCNJ answered back in the fourth when Anderson opened the inning with a sharp single to left. Shindler smoked a triple to right-center to score Anderson and tie the game. Gearhart singled to left and the Lions were on top, 2-1.
 
It was the sixth triple of the season for Shindler and 12^th of his career. He is now tied for third in program history with 12 triples.
 
An unearned run in the sixth tied the score at 2 and the Cougars successfully executed a squeeze bunt in the seventh to edge ahead, 3-2. TCNJ retaliated with a five-spot in the bottom of the frame to take command of the contest. A bases loaded walk to McCarthy tied it and run-scoring singles by Anderson and Shindler highlighted the inning.
 
Matt Krupa got a run back with a blast down the left-field line that cleared the fence. But Simon plated two with a double to right-center to put the game out of reach.
 
Closer Matt Curry (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) made certain the game was in the books by pitching the ninth. He struck out the first two batters he faced and a soft line drive to center ended to give TCNJ its 15^th league win of the season.
 
Prior to the game, seniors CJ Gearhart, Ben Varone, and Alex Christian were all honored for playing in their final regular season home game.
 
Head Coach Dean Glus also honored the 2002 baseball team with the newest addition to Monument Park. The 2002 went 36-14 and was the second team in program history to reach the NCAA Division III World Series.

There is an admissions fee for all NJAC playoff games. It is a $5.00 charge for all adults and a $2.00 fee for students showing ID, senior citizens and children.