WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The TCNJ baseball team continued the RussMatt Invitational on Monday morning against North Park at Chain of Lakes Park. The Lions fell to the Vikings, 10-3.
North Park scored three runs in the first inning, forcing starter
Chris Cassini into a 27-pitch frame.
He settled in the second inning with some smooth defensive plays behind him.
Mike Lagravenis ranged to his right behind second base and dropped to a knee while making a backhand play on a grounder. He fired to first in the same motion for the first out.
Sebastian JnoBaptiste made an outstanding catch in foul territory for the second out. He went far into foul territory from his right field position and made a diving catch at the bullpen mound for the second out of the inning.
Cassini found himself with the bases loaded and no outs in the third, but he got himself off the hook while allowing just a single run. A sacrifice fly made it 4-0, but Cassini got a pair of off-balance swings from North Park catcher Nick Cecchi before catching him looking with the third strike for the second out. A wild pitch put the two runners into scoring position, but Cassini punched out Brad Maurer to end the threat.
TCNJ responded in the bottom of the third inning to get that run back. Lagravenis led off with a walk and stole second. After two outs,
Chris Cote doubled to the warning track in right field to plate Lagravenis, making it a 4-1 North Park lead.
North Park scored two more in the fourth and another in the seventh to make it 7-1, but TCNJ threatened in the home half after the stretch.
Michael Schumacher led off with a base hit, and he scored all the way from first on Lagravenis' double in the right-center gap. That made it 7-2.
Jack Haynes followed with a walk, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch.
Ryan Goodall worked a full-count, but he was punched out on a borderline called third strike.
The TCNJ defense continued to shine.
Chris Reeder made an outstanding barehanded catch on an attempted bunt in the eighth. The ball was popped up just behind the left-handed batter's box, and Reeder had just enough time and the presence of mind to stick his bare right hand up to grab the ball before it eluded his reach.
Reeder came up and doubled with one out in the bottom of the eighth, and he later scored on
Joe Oczkowski's sacrifice fly to left to make it 9-3.
In the top of the ninth and North Park ahead, 10-3, the Lions showed another defensive gem. On a single to JnoBaptiste in right, he fired a bullet to the plate to cut down Cecchi. The throw carried Reeder up the third base line, but the TCNJ catcher was able to catch the ball and reach back to tag Cecchi before he snuck by.
Lagravenis went 2-for-4 with a walk to pace the TCNJ offense.
TCNJ returns to action on Tuesday night for a doubleheader against Hamilton at Chain of Lakes Park. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5 p.m.
