HAVERFORD, Pa. – The TCNJ baseball team scored three runs in the first inning and never trailed as it defeated Haveford, 6-4, on Thursday afternoon in non-conference action. David Cardona III went 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
 
Danny Borup and Thomas Persichetti each walked to lead off the game. After a fielder's choice eliminated Borup at the plate, Tommy McCarthy walked to load the bases with one out. Jacob Simon was the fourth Lion to walk in the inning, forcing home Persichetti to make it 1-0.
 
Gary Otten followed with the first, and only, hit of the inning with a single through the left side to score Cardona. Matt Giacose followed with the fifth walk of the inning to score McCarthy to make it 3-0.
 
The Lions made it 4-0 in the second inning with a two-out run. With two away, Cardona singled to right, and McCarthy brought him all the way around with a double down the right field line.
 
Haverford scored one in the home half of the second and added two more in the fourth on the strength of four singles to make it 4-3. TCNJ starting pitcher Matt Volpe settled down to pitch a scoreless fifth, making him eligible for his second victory of the season. He fanned six in his five innings.
 
TCNJ added two insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning. Cardona doubled to left to lead off the inning, and Simon smacked his second home run of the season – both to the opposite field – two batters later to give the Lions a 6-3 lead.
 
Haverford got one of those runs back in the bottom half without a hit. An error, a pickoff, a walk and a balk filled the inning with plenty of action, and a grounder to short plated Haverford's fourth run off Yariel Levin. He pitched three hitless innings but gave up the run.
 
Nickolas Kleftogiannis pitched a clean ninth to earn the save. McCarthy and Simon each had two hits for the Lions. They both added a walk to reach base three times. Giacose walked twice to go along with a hit.
 
The Lions return home on Friday afternoon for a non-conference game against Cairn at 3:30 p.m.