WINTER HAVEN, FL.- The TCNJ baseball team fell 11-8 in heart-breaking fashion via a three-run walk-off homerun in a four run ninth inning versus Benedictine on Sunday. It was an exciting back and forth game that saw 23 combined hits between both teams and 19 runs. TCNJ fought their way back into it time and time again, but the home team Eagles had their chance in the final inning and capitalized.
 
The Eagles struck first in the bottom half of the first. After two quick strikeouts from Gray, a hit by pitch followed by two hits in a row drove the opening run in for Benedictine.
 
In the top half of the third, TCNJ took the lead right back from the eagles with a nice two-out rally. Mike LaGravenis reached base with a single down the line and stole second base. Zach Weiner then reached first by an error from the shortstop, which also scored LaGravenis. Next up was Ryan Goodall who sent a charge into the baseball, soaring over the center field fence. The Lions went into the bottom half of the third up 3-1.
 
In the next half, the Eagles would tack on one more run via a sacrifice fly out of play to right field with one out to bring them back within one.
 
Benedictine retook the lead in the fourth after Gray nearly got out of a bases loaded one out jam unscathed. He was able to get the second out before walking consecutive batters to give the Eagles a 4-3 advantage.
 
Right back in the top of the fifth, the Lions were out to prove that there is no quit in these cats. With two outs and runners on first and second, Goodall hit a groundball that once again got away from the shortstop, scoring Lagravenis. Chris Reeder and Andrew Fernandez kept the inning rolling with back-to-back seeing eye singles, scoring Weiner and Goodall to bring TCNJ back in front 6-4.
 
Michael Silver took over for Gray on the bump in the fifth inning and immediately was in a jam after a runner reached on a dropped third strike and a hit by pitch had runners on first and second with no outs. Silver was able to force a failed bunt that turned into a pop out and a strikeout looking before a walk had the bases juiced. The next batter would lineout to center to end the fifth.
 
The Eagles found the equalizer in the bottom half of the sixth with a one out, two run home run. TCNJ was able to minimize damage after doubling up a man on first base after a liner to LaGravenis at second base.
 
Chris Reeder launched the second homerun of the day for the Lions to dead center field leading off in the top of the 7^th to put the Lions back on top 7-6. A bases loaded sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom half of the inning would deadlock the game once again at seven apiece.
 
After Reeder reached second on an error by the third baseman, Fernandez sacrifice bunted him over to third. This set it all up for Marcario to have the go-ahead infield single.

Alec Schwartz went three up, three down in the eighth but could not find the same success in the ninth as the Eagles evened the score on a sacrifice fly and won the game with a three run shot. 

LaGravenis and Reeder led the Lions at the plate on Sunday, Reeder went 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and scoring twice while LaGravenis went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored of his own.
 
TCNJ will dig back into the box late Monday afternoon against SUNY Cobleskill at 4:30 PM.