AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The TCNJ baseball team wrapped up its spring break trip with a matchup against Denison Saturday morning, taking an early lead before falling 8-1 to the seventh-ranked Big Red.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
Jackson Malouf set the tone on the mound in Saturday's finale, striking out the side in just 10 pitches in the opening inning. Carrying that momentum to the plate, it was the Lions (9-7) capitalizing on their first opportunity of the day in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Ryan Goodall drew a one-out walk  to start the rally, advancing to third on a hard-hit single to right off the bat of Tyler Provost. On the ensuing at-bat it was Andrew Fernandez hitting a deep fly ball to right that scored Goodall on the tag to give TCNJ the 1-0 advantage after two.
 
Malouf worked himself out of a jam in the third inning, but it was Denison (14-3) tying the game in the fourth before taking the lead with a three-run fifth inning – all three of which came after a costly error – to put the Lions in a 4-1 hole.
 
TCNJ threatened in the seventh after Justin Marcario and Provost loaded the bases with one out, but the Lions next two batters went down to keep them off the board in a promising inning. Instead it was the Big Red jumping on Joe Ferreri – who had just entered the game in relief for Malouf – for a four-hit, four-run bottom half of the frame to balloon the lead to 8-1.
 
TCNJ got just one runner on in the next two innings en route to the loss in its spring break finale.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Malouf was impressive despite taking the loss, allowing just one earned run and fanning six in six innings of work.
• Goodall finished 1-2 with a double and the Lions' lone run.
• Marcario extended his hitting streak to five games and had reached safely on nine of the last 10 after going 1-4.

UP NEXT

• The Lions are back Wednesday, March 26 for a non-conference bout against Widener, with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.