WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The TCNJ baseball team fell behind early and was never able to recover in its matchup against Endicott Thursday morning, falling 10-1 to the fourth-ranked Gulls. The Lions found themselves with plenty of opportunities but could not translate those chances to runs, leaving 10 runners on base in the loss.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
A pair of TCNJ (7-6) miscues cost the Lions early in Saturday's game, with an errant throw from Brian Lovaglio and a balk by Owen Hoffman allowing two Endicott players to cross home plate and take a 2-0 lead. Hoffman – who was making his collegiate debut – got out of a bases-loaded jam in the second to keep it a two-run game before the Gulls (9-3) erupted for a six-run bottom of the third.
 
With Jack Reardon now on the mound as the first of six pitchers to come out of the bullpen for TCNJ in the game, Endicott capitalized, scoring six runs on five hits to balloon its lead to 8-0.
 
The Lions broke the perfect game being tossed by the Gulls' Charlie Hale in the fourth with a single off the bat of Gianni Marano, but were unable to convert on the two-out base knock. It was more of the same in the seventh inning when TCNJ was kept off the board despite getting two men on with no outs, before the Lions were finally able to capitalize in the eighth.
 
Mike LaGravenis drew a one-out walk to start the rally, with O'Donnell doing the same before a balk advanced both runners. Zach Hochhesier then drew an eight-pitch, two-out walk to load the bases and set up Justin Marcario to hit one through the right side to score LaGravenis and prevent the shutout.
 
While TCNJ was trying to rally at the plate, it was Ryan Greenstein showing out in his collegiate debut on the mound. The freshman entered the game in the fifth inning and against one of the top offenses in all of Division III, allowed just one hit and struck out two in three scoreless innings.
 
The freshman exited the game in the eighth after which Endicott scored a pair of runs to take a 10-1 lead before a two-hit ninth inning amounting to nothing for the Lions en route to the loss.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Greenstein looked dominant in his collegiate debut, allowing one hit and striking out two in three scoreless innings in relief.
• Connor Lamanteer and LC Smith tossed one scoreless inning apiece out of the bullpen, each fanning one.
• Marcario went 1-3 at the plate and was responsible for TCNJ's lone RBI.
• Marano, Lavaglio and Jake Carter had the Lions' other three hits, all going 1-3.

UP NEXT

• The Lions return Friday, March 21 for a doubleheader against Kalamazoo. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.