EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team split with Stockton University in a Friday afternoon NJAC doubleheader at George Ackerman Park, taking the first game, 6-3, before falling in game two 5-4.
GAME ONE: TCNJ 6, Stockton 3
Chris Cote had three hits and
Jack Haynes had three RBIs as the Lions took game one, 6-3. Haynes got the first of those RBIs in the fourth, with the Lions leading, 2-1. He grounded out to second, scoring
Avery Epstein to make it 3-1. Epstein reached base four times with a hit, two hit batsmen and a walk. He also scored three runs.
A sixth-inning RBI single brought Stockton to within 3-2, but Haynes answered the bottom of the inning with an RBI single of his own, again plating Epstein.
The Haynes-Epstein tandem worked again in the eighth inning, this time on a Haynes sacrifice fly to left. Epstein came home to make it 5-2. TCNJ scored again in the inning with Cote's double to right bringing home
Aydon Chavis. That made it 6-2.
Stockton added a solo home run in the top of the ninth but didn't seriously threaten.
Tim Schumacher was solid in earning the victory. He went 5.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and five hits while fanning five.
David Stec earned a save in 3.2 innings of relief, allowing just one run and two hits with four strikeouts.
GAME TWO: Stockton 5, TCNJ 4
TCNJ served as the visitors in game two as the makeup to Thursday's rainout at Stockton, and the Lions took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
Chris Reeder led off with a double, and he later scored on a wild pitch. Epstein scored on Chavis' triple to make it 2-0, and
Michael Schumacher flied out to center to bring home Chavis.
Stockton rallied to score five unanswered runs, plating a pair in the sixth and three more in the seventh.
That set the stage for an entertaining top of the ninth inning. Reeder was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and he scored after one out on Epstein's double to right center to make it 5-4. After a second out, pinch hitter
Ryan Goodall and Haynes were both plunked, loading the bases.
Sebastian JnoBaptiste hit a hard liner to right on an 0-1 pitch, and it looked as though it may carry past a shallow outfield, but John Perrino was able to reach over his head to make the catch that ended the game.
Reeder went 3-for-3, and Epstein was 2-for-3.
Joseph Felipe started and pitched well in a no-decision. He allowed two runs on six hits with five strikeouts in six innings.
TCNJ returns home on Saturday to face New Jersey City for a doubleheader beginning at 11:30 a.m.
