EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team showcased its resilience in a marathon Senior Day doubleheader against Montclair State on Sunday afternoon, securing a 17-14 win in a high-scoring Game 1 before rallying for a dramatic 15-15 tie in Game 2. Across the two games, the Lions (23-15-1, 10-7-1) and Red Hawks (24-14-1, 10-7-1) combined for a staggering 61 runs and 76 hits in one of the wildest days in program history. 

With the teams wrapping up the regular season with identical conference records, the Game 1 victory gave the Lions the tiebreaker for the No. 3 seed and a first-round home game in the NJAC Tournament. The two sides, who combined to throw 716 pitches on Sunday, will meet once again at George Ackerman Park for a 3:30 p.m. playoff opener on Thursday.

Before the madness ensued, TCNJ honored its expansive class of seniors and graduate students: Ben Amon, Zach Bowman, Andrew Fernandez, Joe Ferreri, Ryan Goodall, Jordan Gray, Zach Hochheiser, Mike LaGravenis, Jackson Malouf, Justin Marcario, Jack Marchese, Dan Merkel, Mike Silver, Zach Weiner, Connor Wood, and Andrew Woodward.

Game 1: TCNJ 17, Montclair State 14
The Lions wasted no time getting the offense going in Sunday's opener, striking for five runs in the bottom of the first inning. LaGravenis started the rally with a leadoff single before an RBI double by Goodall and an RBI single by Marcario got TCNJ on the board. Andrew Fernandez delivered the biggest blow of the inning, lining a two-run double to left-center to make it 5-0.

Montclair State chipped away with runs in the second and third innings, but TCNJ answered with a sac fly by Zach Weiner in the third before Fernandez crushed a three-run home run in the fourth to extend the lead to 10-3.

The Red Hawks continued to battle, closing the gap to 10-8 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but the Lions' bats stayed hot. Jack O'Donnell launched a solo home run to right field to give TCNJ breathing room before crushing another two-run homer in the seventh to push the lead to 15-10.

Montclair State refused to go quietly, but Ben Amon provided a solid six-inning start, and Joe Ferreri and Jack O'Shea combined to lock down the final outs and preserve the 17-14 victory.

STANDOUT LIONS

• Fernandez: 3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI, 2B
• O'Donnell: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
• LaGravenis: 3-for-6, 2B, 2 R
• Goodall: 2-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 SB

Game 1: TCNJ 15, Montclair State 15

The second game of the twin bill turned even crazier, as both offenses continued to light up the scoreboard in a contest that ultimately ended in a tie due to darkness.

Montclair State erupted for eight runs in the second inning, capitalizing on several TCNJ miscues to build a quick 9-0 lead. The Lions, however, would not go away quietly. A two-run third and a run in the fifth cut into the deficit before a massive seven-run sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Fernandez and clutch RBIs from Mike Doran and Marcario, brought TCNJ all the way back to tie the game at 10-10.

Montclair reclaimed the lead in the eighth, but the Lions once again responded with a four-run frame. Doran came through again, delivering a bases-clearing double to put TCNJ ahead 13-11 before Fernandez' RBI single put the blue and gold ahead 14-11 heading into the final inning.

The Red Hawks answered with a four-run ninth of their own, capped by a two-out grand slam that gave them a stunning 15-14 lead. Facing a potentially heartbreaking loss, Marano stepped up and crushed a solo home run to center to lead off the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 15-apiece.

With no lights at George Ackerman Park and sunset fast approaching, the game was officially called after nine innings, giving the Lions their first tie in 22 years.

STANDOUT LIONS

• Marano: 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R
• Fernandez: 4-for-6, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R
• Doran: 2-for-4, 5 RBI, 2B
• Goodall: 2-for-3, 3 BB, RBI, 2 R

UP NEXT
TCNJ baseball is set to host their first NJAC playoff game since 2018 against fourth-seeded Montclair State on Thursday, May 1st, at 3:30 p.m.