EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team defeated Delaware Valley, 9-1, in a Wednesday non-conference game at George Ackerman Park thanks to seven strong innings from starting pitcher Jordan Gray. Gray allowed just five hits while fanning eight in earning his first win of the season.
Gray's performance was highlighted by the fact that the Lions held just a 1-0 through the first five innings of the game, and TCNJ had just one hit in that time. That run and that hit both came in the bottom of the first inning. Jack O'Donnell led off that frame with a hit-by-pitch on the first pitch of his at-bat, and Ryan Goodall followed with a single to move O'Donnell to third. A fielder's choice on Chris Reeder's at-bat eliminated Goodall, but it also allowed O'Donnell to score.
Gray allowed hits in each of the first three innings, but he held the Aggies off the board. In the third, he erased a leadoff single with a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
The Lions still held that 1-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth, when the offense broke free for four runs. TCNJ loaded the based with a Goodall single and a hit batsman to Reeder and a walk to Zach Hochheiser. Goodall scored on an error, and Reeder then scored on Andrew Fernandez's sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
Sebastian JnoBaptiste singled home Hochheiser to make it 4-0, and Justin Marcario capped the inning by scoring from second base on a throwing error as the Aggies failed to complete a double play.
Reeder and Goodall both reached in the seventh inning with one out, and Marcario brought both of them home with a double to left center to make it 7-0. Fernandez followed with a single to left to plate Marcario for an 8-0 lead.
In the eighth, Zach Weiner led off with a walk and moved to third on Jack Haynes' single. O'Donnell brought Weiner home with a sacrifice fly to center.
Goodall and Reeder each had two hits, and Weiner had a hit and two walks. Those three players each had two stolen bases.
TCNJ returns to action at George Ackerman Park on Thursday when it hosts No. 2 Salisbury in a non-conference game at 3:30 p.m.
