EWING, N.J. – After an uneven start, the TCNJ baseball team rallied late to defeat Widener, 7-6, on Wednesday afternoon at George Ackerman Park. The Lions moved to 3-0 at home with the victory.
 
After 4.5 innings, the Lions trailed the Pride, 6-2. The Lions picked up single runs in the second on a Joe Oczkowski infield single to score Chris Reeder and an Oczkowski fourth-inning groundout. That cut the Widener lead to 3-2 after four innings, but the Pride scored three times in the top of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.
 
TCNJ got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when it loaded the bases with one out. Michael Schumacher and Mike Lagravenis each singled, and Jack Haynes followed with a hit-by-pitch to load them. Ryan Goodall brought home Schumacher with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 6-3.
 
The TCNJ relief combo of Chris Cassini and Joseph Felipe held Widener scoreless over the final 4.2 innings, allowing the Lions' offense a chance at the comeback. Cassini struck out four in his 2.2 innings of relief while the Lions trailed.
 
After Cassini stranded two runners in the top of the seventh, the Lions responded with a three-spot in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded with one out, Lagravenis scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-4. In that same at-bat with Reeder at the plate, he ripped a game-tying double to left to plate both Haynes and Chris Cote. It was 6-6.
 
The Lions used some two-out offense to score the go-ahead run in the eighth. Lagravenis beat the throw for an infield single that could have ended the inning, and Haynes and Goodall followed with free passes. Another wild pitch benefitted the Lions here, with Lagravenis racing home with the go-ahead run.
 
Felipe pitched a spotless ninth to earn the victory. He didn't allow a hit in his two innings of work. Lagravenis, Reeder and Schumacher all had two hits, and Haynes reached three times thanks to two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Cote also walked twice.
 
TCNJ returns home on Thursday to face Haverford at 3:30 p.m.