EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team earned a big doubleheader sweep on Saturday, defeating William Paterson by scores of 10-5 and 6-4 to open conference play. The Lions (13-7, 2-0) hit six home runs on the afternoon and used late-inning heroics in both games to take down the Pioneers (14-6, 0-2).
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 10, William Paterson 5
William Paterson struck first with two runs in the top of the second inning on a pair of RBI singles, and the Pioneers extended their lead to 4-0 in the third inning with two more runs on a single to left field.
 
TCNJ got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when Jack O'Donnell scored on an error.

William Paterson added another run in the fifth on an RBI single, making it 5-1.
 
The Lions began their comeback in the sixth inning when Gianni Marano singled in O'Donnell to cut the deficit to 5-2.
 
TCNJ exploded for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. Tyler Provost led off with a solo home run to left field. Later in the inning, O'Donnell delivered a two-run homer, the first of his career, to score Mike LaGravenis and tie the game at 5-5.
 
The Lions broke the game open with a decisive five-run eighth inning. After Ryan Goodall doubled, Provost connected for his second homer of the game, a three-run shot that also scored Justin Marcario and Goodall. Andrew Fernandez followed with a solo home run of his own, and Zach Weiner scored the final run on a balk.
 
Ben Amon was solid for the Lions, going 7.1 innings before handing it over to Evan Frank, who earned the win with two-thirds of an inning of scoreless relief. Joe Ferreri closed out the ninth to secure the victory.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• O'Donnell: 3-for-5, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, SB
• Provost: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI
• Fernandez: 1-for-4, solo HR

GAME 2: TCNJ 6, William Paterson 4
TCNJ jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first with a leadoff homer over the center field fence from LaGravenis, the first dinger of his career
 
William Paterson tied the game in the second on an RBI double, but the Lions responded in their half of the second when Provost doubled down the left-field line, driving in Marcario to make it 2-1.
 
TCNJ extended the lead with two more runs in the third. O'Donnell singled, stole second, and scored on Zach Hochheiser's double. Goodall later singled to bring home Hochheiser, pushing the advantage to 4-1.
 
Fernandez homered to left field in the fourth, making it 5-1 Lions.
 
William Paterson mounted a comeback in the fifth inning, scoring three unearned runs after a fielding error to cut TCNJ's lead to 5-4.
The Lions added an insurance run in the eighth when Provost doubled, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.
 
Jackson Malouf worked 5.2 innings for TCNJ, allowing four runs (only one earned) while striking out seven. Evan Frank was outstanding in relief, throwing 3.1 perfect innings with three strikeouts to earn his first save of the season.

STANDOUT LIONS

• LaGravenis: 2-for-4, solo HR, SB
• Marcario: 2-for-4, R
• Fernandez: 1-for-3, solo HR, BB
• Frank: 3.1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K (SV)

UP NEXT
TCNJ Baseball returns to action on Thursday with another NJAC matchup at home against Rutgers-Camden starting at 3:30 PM.