EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team honored its six seniors to start off Saturday's
doubleheader against the 14^th-ranked Kean Cougars. Both games featured solid starting pitching and slick defense as the teams split the doubleheader. TCNJ won game one, 2-1, before Kean took the second game, 5-0.
 
Game One: TCNJ 2, Kean 1
Ben Amon pitched seven innings and allowed just one run for TCNJ in their 2-1 victory over nationally-ranked Kean.
 
After a scoreless first inning, TCNJ got on the board in the bottom of the second. Andrew Fernandez singled to left center and advanced to second base on Michael Schumacher's single through the left side. After advancing on a wild pitch, Mike Lagravenis reached on an infield single to the right side after a thirteen pitch at bat to score Fernandez. That made the score 1-0. Lagravenis fouled off 10 consecutive pitches in that at-bat before singling.
 
The Lions held off Kean in the top of the third with a three-up, three-down inning. In the bottom of the third, Ryan Goodall doubled to left field and scored off a single from Joe Oczkowski.
 
Kean answered back with one run in the top of the fourth, with Dylan Beyer's sacrifice fly to score Michael Lapczynski.
 
Chris Reeder had a double in the fifth inning and was able to advance to third base on a passed ball but was ultimately left stranded, keeping the score at 2-1.
 
Kean attempted to make a comeback in the top of the ninth but were cut short after a double play made from Lagravenis to Chris Cote to Oczkowski cleared the traffic on the bases. Reliever Chris Cassini in then closed the game with a strikeout.
 
Lagravenis had two hits and one RBI, while Oczkowski recorded a hit and RBI. Amon walked just one batter while striking out eight to earn the victory.  
 
Game Two: Kean 5, TCNJ 0
Lagravenis put up two hits for the Lions including a double, with Chris Cote and Joe Oczkowski getting a single apiece, but TCNJ wasn't able to get anyone across the plate in game two.
 
Kean scored a run in the top of the first thanks to some well-placed base hits. A bouncing double down the third-base line preceded two seeing-eye singles against TCNJ starter Jordan Gray to make it 1-0.
 
Kean had the bases loaded in the inning with just one out when a fly ball to center looked like a sure sacrifice fly. Instead, Sebastian JnoBaptiste gunned down the tagging runner heading to third before the runner from third touched home. That ended the inning with Kean only scoring one run.
 
The next few innings remained scoreless on both sides, while boasting some impressive defensive plays for TCNJ. In the top of the third, Reeder threw down to Lagravenis at second to catch a stealing base runner, ending Kean's at-bat. The top of the fourth featured a double play on a ground ball to Cote, who went Lagravenis to Oczkowski to record the outs.
 
Kean added two more runs to the board in the top of the fifth, making the score 3-0. Even as they trailed, the Lions continued to play good defense. In the top of the sixth with a runner at second, Oczkowski snagged a line drive then threw behind the runner for the double play.
 
The bottom of the sixth looked promising for TCNJ when they put two men on base. Lagravenis singled up the middle before Reeder was hit by a pitch, but they were both stranded to keep the Lions off the board.
 
Kean put another two runs on the board, making the final score 5-0.
 
Ethan Earley had a good relief effort, striking out three of the seven batters he faced.
 
TCNJ returns to action against No. 9 Arcadia on Tuesday at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Admission and parking are both free.