AUBURNDALE, FL.- The TCNJ baseball team put another two victories in the win column on Friday, sweeping Muhlenberg College by scores of 11-3 and 12-0 in the two seven-inning battles. The Lions (8-0) were dominant in both games, getting out to early leads that the Mules (3-7) couldn't match.
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 11, Muhlenberg 3
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Muhlenberg was the first to score in game one on a three-run home-run in the top of the first.
  • Justin Marcario tallied his 100^th career hit as a Lion in the bottom half of the first with a single through the right side.
• The Lions found the answer, and then some in the bottom half, scoring four runs on four hits to regain a 4-3 lead. TCNJ shutout the Mules for the remainder of the game.
• An Andrew Fernandez single through the left side in the third inning scored Justin Marcario and extended the lead to two in the second.
• Chris Reeder hit his second homer of the season in the fourth inning, scoring Marcario and Mike LaGravenis to put the Blue & Gold ahead 8-3.
• TCNJ added three more in the sixth on a Zach Hochheiser triple to score Ryan Goodall and Justin Marcario. Hochheiser scored the next play on an error to round out the scoring for the Lions.
• After giving up three in the first, starting pitcher Jackson Malouf settled in as he went the distance with 12 strikeouts, allowing three hits with five walks.

 
STANDOUT LIONS:

• LHP Jackson Malouf (2-0): 7.0 IP, CG, 3R, 3ER, 3H, 12K, 5BB
• SS Justin Marcario: 4-for-4, 4R (Recorded 100^th career hit)
• 3B Andrew Fernandez: 3-for-4, 3RBI, 1R
• C Chris Reeder: 2-for-4, 3RBI, 2R

GAME 2, TCNJ 12, Muhlenberg 0
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Junior RHP Dan Merkel was sensational in game two, throwing a complete-game one-hitter on 11 strikeouts, one walk and two hit-batters.
• The Lions did the majority of the damage in the first three innings, scoring a total of nine runs on six hits and two errors.
  • Goodall kicked off the scoring for the Lions in a big way in game two with a two-run triple over the center fielder's head, driving in Reeder and Marcario. Fernandez scored Goodall in the next at-bat with a single through the left side.
  • Zach Weiner added two more onto the scoreboard for TCNJ with a single up the middle in the third to score Michael Schumacher and Hochheiser. LaGravenis then hit a double down the left field line to bring Weiner across home plate.
• The Lions tacked on another in the fourth on a Hochheiser sac-fly to left, scoring Goodall.
• TCNJ rounded out their scoring in the top of the seventh, putting up two more on three hits to bring the lead to 12-0.
  • After a Schumacher walk, Jake Carter singled up the middle in his first collegiate at-bat on the first pitch. Weiner then singled to right center, bringing Carter to third and scoring Schumacher.
  • Freshman Braden Dromboski drove in a run in his first collegiate at-bat on a fielder's choice to second, driving in Carter.

STANDOUT LIONS:

• RHP Dan Merkel (2-0): 7.0 IP, CG, 0R, 1H, 11K, 1BB, 2HBP
• RF Zach Weiner: 2-for-4, 3RBI, 1R
• 3B Andrew Fernandez: 3-for-4, 1RBI, 1R
• C Ryan Goodall: 1-for-3, 3R, 2RBI, 2BB

UP NEXT:

• TCNJ baseball finishes up their spring trip on Saturday morning with a matchup against Middlebury in Auburndale, Fl. on Field 5 of Lake Myrtle Park at 9:45 AM.