Holly Springs, NC... The 10th ranked College of New Jersey baseball team was topped by LaGrange College in the NCAA Division III South Regional Championship Tournament on Saturday by a final score of 9-5. The Lions 2018 record concludes at 29-11.

In the first inning Thomas Persichetti (Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame) ripped a ground ball down the third base line and beat the throw. The base hit marked the 100^th of his young career.

The Panthers took a 3-0 lead after the opening inning, yet the Lions were able to get back on top. In the 3^rd, Persichetti drove in Matt Giacose (Wycoff, NJ/Ramapo) with an RBI groundout. The Lions regained the lead in the 4^th when Steve Bucci (Washington Twp., NJ/Washington Twp) knocked an RBI base hit that went through the left side. Persichetti continued to remain hot, as he slapped a base hit to center to put TCNJ up 4-3.

The seesaw battle continued as the Panthers took a 5-4 lead, then the Lions tied it back up with a run in the 5^th. Ryan Fischer (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) laced a single through the left side to tie the game back up. The Panthers re claimed the lead in the bottom of the 5^th with three runs, and added another in the bottom of the 6^th. The Lions were unable to piece together a rally, and the Panthers held onto the victory.

Jacob Simon (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) put forth a strong tournament, as he went 6-9 with three runs scored an a pair of RBIs. Persichetti put forth an efficient performance in the tournament as he went 6-12 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Patrick Anderson (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central)  went 5-13, and Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) 5-14. 

Despite the defeat, the Lions still had a terrific season. They compiled 29 wins, and reached the NCAA Division III Regional Championships for the 3^rd season in a row. Additionally, they were ranked within the top 20 nationally all season. They had the NJAC Bill DioGuardi Player of the Year, as well as the NJAC Fireman of the Year, three first team All-NJAC selections, two second team All-NJAC selections, and two All-NJAC Honorable mentions. The future certainly remains bright for the Lions.