EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team grabbed an early lead, watched it fade away, and then reclaimed control with a late rally on Friday afternoon against Cairn. The Lions scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win, 11-7, in non-conference action at George Ackerman Park.
 
The Lions had a 4-0 lead after three innings thanks to an RBI single from Ryan Fischer in the second, and a pair of run-scoring hits in the third. David Cardona III stayed hot with a two-run double, and Tommy McCarthy followed with a single to score Cardona to make it 4-0.
 
TCNJ hit a rough spot in the fifth. Cairn plated five runs to take the lead with just three hits and a pair of TCNJ errors. The first six hitters of the inning reached base, taking advantage of two walks to go along with the hits and errors. With five runs in and runners at second and third with just one out, pitcher Josh deDufour induced a pop out to short before getting a strikeout to end the inning. The runners were stranded, and the Cairn lead was stuck at 5-4.
 
deDufour earned the win in relief. He pitched three innings, allowing no hits but surrendering a run. That run he allowed in the seventh came via two walks and a wild pitch, and it gave Cairn a 6-4 lead heading into the home half of the inning. That's where the Lions took control.
 
Danny Borup led off with a single, and Cardona brought him home with a hit of his own to make it 6-5. McCarthy walked, and Jacob Simon singled to load the bases. Gary Otten tied the game with a single, and Matt Giacose's sacrifice fly gave the Lions a 7-6 lead.
 
Fischer followed with the big hit, a triple to right to score two more runs to make it 9-6. He scored on a wild pitch to complete the six-run inning. TCNJ led, 10-6. Borup added an insurance run in the eighth.
 
Cardona went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Borup had two hits and three runs scored. Simon and Fischer each had two hits.
 
TCNJ returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Rutgers-Newark in an NJAC-opening doubleheader at George Ackerman Park. First pitch for game one is set for 11:30 a.m.