EWING, N.J. - The TCNJ baseball team made quick work of Immaculata in its non-conference bout against the Mighty Macs Tuesday afternoon, scoring nine runs in the opening two innings and never looking back en route to a 15-4 win.
 
Gianni Marano staked his claim on Tuesday's game early, retiring the side on the mound in the opening half inning before stepping to the plate in the home half and launching a two-run shot to center field to give the Lions (20-10, 8-2 NJAC) a 2-0 lead. The graduate transfer tossed another scoreless frame in the second, setting TCNJ up to score seven in the bottom of the inning to put the game out of reach.
 
Ryan Goodall was hit by a pitch to open the frame, with three straight singles from Tyler Provost, Andrew Fernandez and Jake Carter scoring the graduate student. Mike LaGravenis took one off the body to make it a 4-0 game before Jack O'Donnell stepped into the box and hit his first collegiate grand slam down the left field line, doubling the Lions' advantage.
 
On the ensuing at-bat it was Marano striking again on the first pitch he saw, hitting his second homer of the afternoon to build TCNJ's lead to 9-0.
 
The Lions' advantage reached double digits after a pair of unearned runs in the fourth inning made it 11-0 before the Mighty Macs (8-21) spoiled the no-hitter and shutout with a pair of their own in the top of the fifth, quickly cutting the lead back to nine.
 
After LC Smith tossed a shutout sixth inning for TCNJ, the Lions got a trio of runs from Provost – the junior hit his sixth home run of the season – Carter and LaGravenis to make it a 15-2 game. Immaculata would get two back in the top of the seventh and threaten for more with the bases loaded and nobody out, but Evan Frank would retire the next three batters to end the game via the run-rule.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Marano: 2-3, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 3 IP, 0 ER
• LaGravenis: 3-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs
• O'Donnell: 1-3, 4 RBIs
• John DiCostanzo, Smith & Frank: three combined shutout innings

UP NEXT

• The Lions are on the road to take on 18th-ranked Rowan Thursday April 17, with first pitch of the NJAC showdown scheduled for 3:30 p.m.