UNION, N.J.- The TCNJ baseball team, ranked No. 5 in the NJAC tournament defeated the No. 3 seeded Red Hawks of Montclair State on Saturday night by a score of 12-5.
 
Starter Ben Amon showed out on Saturday, earning his sixth win of the year and going six innings and allowing two runs on just four days rest from a complete game against Rutgers-Camden on Monday. In his six innings, he gave up six hits and struck out five while walking one.
 
The Lions were the first to put runs on the board coming off a Jack Haynes single up the middle scoring Andrew Fernandez to go ahead 1-0. Fernandez led the inning off with a single of his own to left-center field.
 
In the third, the Red Hawks answered back with two runs of their own on three hits to take a 2-1 lead.
 
In the fourth, the Lions took the lead back and never looked back scoring four runs on three hits and an error. Zach Weiner started the scoring in the fourth with a double over the center fielders head, driving in Sebastian JnoBaptiste and Jack Felipe. A Justin Marcario fielder's choice scored Weiner and Chris Reeder followed this with a sacrifice fly to right center, scoring Haynes to bring TCNJ ahead 5-2.
 
TCNJ tacked on another three runs in the home half of the fifth on no hits as the Lions were the beneficiary of some walks by Montclair State pitching. Haynes and Reeder both drove in runs by forcing walks and LaGravenis drove in Felipe on a sac-fly to right, bringing the Lion lead to six runs.
 
The Lions added another in the sixth as Fernandez was awarded home after a balk by the Red Hawks.
 
In the seventh, sophomore Ethan Earley took over pitching duties for the Lions and earned a save for his three innings in relief. In his outing, Earley gave up three runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
TCNJ scored three more runs in the bottom of the seventh on four hits to bring the score to 12-2. Reeder drove in his third RBI of the evening with a single to left field, bringing in LaGravenis. Ryan Goodall came up the very next batter and drove in Reeder with a screaming double off the fence in left center. After a Fernandez single to right, Goodall stole home on a first and third play.
 
In the top of the ninth, Montclair State put up three runs but were not able to cut into the lead anymore as TCNJ claimed the 12-5 win.
 
Every batter in the lineup recorded a hit on Saturday night as Marcario, Fernandez, Weiner and Haynes each had a pair of hits. Reeder led the team with three RBIs and Fernandez led the team with three runs scored.

The Lions will gear back up for a matchup with the Profs of Rowan University on Sunday at 3:30 PM. A win for TCNJ will guarantee themselves a spot in the NJAC Championship on Monday, May 8^th.