NEWARK, N.J. - The TCNJ baseball team was firing on all cylinders in its NJAC doubleheader against Rutgers-Newark Saturday afternoon, cruising to a 20-2 Game 1 win before securing the sweep of the Scarlet Raiders with a 6-2, extra-inning win in Game 2.
 
GAME 1: TCNJ 20, Rutgers-Newark 2
 
The Lions (16-8, 5-1 NJAC) wasted no time taking control in Saturday's opener, scoring five in the opening inning before pouring in eight in the sixth en route to the 20-2 win.
 
Mike LaGravenis got the early rally started with a leadoff single before four consecutive walks scored the senior for the game's first run. Next up to the plate was Ryan Goodall, who launched a grand slam – the 30th home run of his career – to clear the bases and put TCNJ up 5-0.
 
The Lions got a trio of insurance runs in the second and fifth innings from Justin Marcario and Gianni Marano to go up 9-0 before an eight-run sixth inning put the game away for good.
 
Andrew Fernandez opened the frame with a leadoff single, scoring on the ensuing at-bat after Jake Carter roped a triple to left center. Jack O'Donnell and Zach Hochheiser scored a pair before RBI walks drawn by Goodall and Zach Weiner built the lead to 14-1 – Rutgers-Newark got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Lions got their final three runs in one of their highest scoring frames of the year off a Mike Doran sac fly as well as a pair of RBI singles from Carter and LaGravenis to build the lead to 17-1.
 
TCNJ was not done, however, as RBIs off the bats of Tim Search Jr., Weiner and Carter in the seventh pushed the Lions' run total to 20 for the third time this season. The Scarlet Raiders (11-15, 3-3 NJAC) stole another run back in the eighth but that was as close as they would get in a 20-2, TCNJ win.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Goodall: 1-3, 2 runs, 5 RBIs
• Marcario: 3-3, 4 RBIs
• Carter: 4-7, 3 RBIs
• LaGravenis: 3-5, 3 runs
• Ben Amon: 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Ks

GAME 2: TCNJ 6, Rutgers-Newark 2 (11 inn.)
 
Saturday's rematch was much more tightly contested, with TCNJ being forcing extras for the first time all season before Marano and Goodall struck again to grab the 6-2 win and series sweep.
 
After a quiet first two innings, it was Marano converting in the top of the third to put the Lions up 1-0. Brian Lovaglio opened the frame with a single to right, advancing to second on a grounder before Marano's single to left center scored the junior.
 
Jackson Malouf continued to mow down Rutgers-Newark batters – the senior allowed just one hit through the first four innings – before the Scarlet Raiders finally struck for two runs in the fifth to take their first lead of the day.
 
TCNJ threatened with a runner in scoring position in each of the next three innings to no avail, but were finally able to tie the score in the top of the ninth to force extras after Fernandez scored on a wild pitch following the senior's triple to lead off the inning.
 
Malouf reentered for his ninth inning of work, taking care of Rutgers-Newark to send the Lions into extra innings for the first time this season.
 
Neither side could do much in the 10th before a four-run 11th inning by TCNJ abruptly shut the door. Evan Frank, who was forced to hit after a substitution by the Lions, stood tall in the leadoff spot, opening the inning with a walk. LaGravenis and O'Donnell reached safely to load the bases, setting up Marano to draw an RBI walk that would give the Lions the lead. Two at-bats later with two outs, Goodall stepped up to the plate and came through once again, roping a bases-clearing double – pushing his RBI total on the day to eight – that ballooned TCNJ's lead to four at 6-2.
 
Frank – now back on the mound for his second inning in relief – stayed hot in his fourth appearance in six games, retiring the side in the bottom of the inning to earn his team-best fourth win of the season and lock up the sweep of the Scarlet Raiders.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Goodall: 2-2, 4 walks, 3 RBIs
• LaGravenis: 3-6, 2 runs
• Fernandez: 2-5, 1 run
• Malouf: 9.0 IP, 2 ER, 12 Ks
• Frank: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 2Ks

UP NEXT

• The Lions conclude their four-game road trip with a non-conference matchup against Alvernia Tuesday, April 8, with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.