AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The TCNJ baseball team continued the RussMatt Invitational with a pair of games on Friday at Lake Myrtle Park. The Lions earned a split, shutting out McDaniel on Friday morning before losing a tight one against Endicott in the afternoon.
 
TCNJ 11, McDaniel 0 (7 inn.)
 
Joseph Felipe got his first career victory by pitching a complete-game, one-hit shutout in a mercy-rule victory for the Lions over McDaniel. Felipe allowed just one runner to reach second base, and he dealt with just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.
 
The TCNJ offense continued to hit. The Lions added 14 more hits to score the 11 runs. Danny Borup and David Cardona III each had three hits to pace the attack. Matt Giacose had two hits, and every starter for the Lions had at least one hit.
 
Freshman Chris Reeder had his first career hit while driving in two runs. Tommy McCarthy had three RBIs.
 
The Lions scored single runs in the second and third innings, and they broke the game open with a seven-run fourth. The Lions had eight hits in that inning alone, highlighted by doubles from Reeder and Giacose.
 
Endicott 7, TCNJ 6
 
The second game of the day started as a pitchers' duel as TCNJ's Peter Nielsen and Endicott's Joseph Oriola battled through the first half of the game. Nielsen allowed a two-out run in the top of the third, marking the only scoring in the first 4.5 innings.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Lions took the lead with two two-out runs. Thomas Persichetti reached on a throwing error to allow Borup to score, and Cardona followed with a single to chase home Persichetti.
 
Endicott added three in the sixth and one in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead, but the Lions chipped away in the home half of the seventh. Borup and Persichetti each walked, and Cardona singled them both home to make it 5-4. Cardona had three of the team's nine hits and reached base four times. Borup reached base three times.
 
The Lions took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Ryan Fischer doubled. Joey Cruciate pinch ran, and he scored on a single from Aydon Chavis. Chavis took second on the play, and that turned into a huge play as Borup singled him home to make it 6-5 TCNJ.
 
Endicott retook the lead, 7-6, in the top of the ninth, scoring two runs after loading the bases with no outs.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Cardona and McCarthy were each hit by a pitch to start the frame. After a force out on a bunt kept runners at first and second, the Lions caught a break on an error on an attempted force play at second base. That loaded the bases with one out, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the game with the bases left loaded.
 
The Lions conclude the RussMatt Invitational on Saturday against Framingham State at 9:45 a.m.