Union, NJ ... A sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of senior CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) plated Patrick Anderson (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Catholic) with the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as The College of New Jersey defeated Kean University, 4-3 to advance in  the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament.

The Lions (29-11) now advance to play this evening at 7 p.m. against Rowan University. The Profs have won their opening two games of the tourney. Ramapo College faces Rutgers-Newark at 3:30 p.m. The Cougars were eliminated from the tournament with the loss.

Kean made it a thriller by rallying for three runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game. In bottom of the frame, Anderson stroked a one-out base hit and advanced to third on a single to right by Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh). Gearhart then lined a 1-2 pitch to center and the throw was late and off-line as Anderson crossed home plate with the winning run.

Not to be lost in the excitement was masterful pitching performance by sophomore Michael Fischer (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville). He tossed eight and one third innings and surrendered just three hits, while striking out seven.

TCNJ got on the board in the bottom of the second. With one out, Jacob Simon (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) singled off the pitcher to reach first. Left-handed stick Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) sliced a ball down the left-field line for a double, putting runners at second and third. Senior Alex Christian (Milltown, NJ/Spotswood) delivered a clutch, two-run single to right-center to score Simon and Follet.

Christian, who has been sidelined by an ankle injury, returned to the starting line-up for the first since March 30^th.

The Lions stretched the lead to 3-0 in the third when Shindler doubled and moved to third on a single to right by Gearhart. Simon followed with a base hit that scored Shindler with the third run.

The scored remained idle until the 9th. Kean strung together four hits to knot the score at three. Standout reliever Matt Curry (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) was one out away from closing it out, but a pair of two-out, RBI singles kept the Cougars hopes alive. Kean nearly took the lead with two outs and two runners on, but a terrific running catch towards the left-field corner by Simon ended the rally.

Simon and Tommy McCarthy (Allentown, NJ/Allentown) finished with three hits, while Anderson, Shindler and Follet added two hits apiece. Curry moved to 7-0 with the win.