NJAC Baseball Tournament Central
 
MAHWAH, N.J. – Three hitters had multi-hit games and Andrew Rowan threw a complete game as the No. 17 TCNJ baseball team opened the NJAC Tournament with a 9-2 victory over Ramapo on Tuesday afternoon. The Lions entered the tournament as the fourth seed while Ramapo was seeded third.
 
Danny Borup led off the game with a single, and he later scored to give TCNJ a 1-0 lead. Ramapo tied the score in the bottom of the first with the help of a leadoff triple, but the Lions retook control in the top of the second.
 
Gary Otten led off with a hit-by-pitch and Cameron Cane singled him to second. Matt Giacose followed by laying down a bunt, but the throw to first sailed high and down the right-field line. That allowed both Otten and Cane to score to make it 3-1. With Giacose at second, Borup had his second hit in as many innings when he drove Giacose home to push it to 4-1.
 
Later in the inning, Jacob Simon singled home Borup to extend the Lions' lead to 5-1. Borup had his third hit in three innings when he again singled home Giacose to give the Lions a 6-1 lead. Giacose doubled with one out in the third to set the table.
 
That was more than enough for Rowan. He needed just 111 pitches to throw a complete game, walking just two hitters while scattering eight hits. After the leadoff triple in the first, only one of the other seven hits went for extra bases.
 
With the help of two errors, the Lions made it 9-2 in the top of the seventh. Otten made Ramapo pay for those mistakes with a two-run single, scoring Simon and Tommy McCarthy.
 
Borup's three-hit day led the way for the TCNJ offense. Otten and Giacose each had a pair of knocks.
 
The Lions will now face second-seeded Kean on Friday night as the tournament gets into full swing. Kean defeated William Paterson, 2-1, on Tuesday. All games, beginning Friday, are hosted by Kean. First pitch for the Lions and Cougars is at 7 p.m.