WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Thanks to some solid pitching and late-inning runs, the TCNJ baseball team picked up their second win of the year on the road against Wilkes.
Ryan Greenstein had a solid outing on the mound as the Lions' starter, recording three strikeouts and giving up just one hit in four shutout innings. He was replaced in the fifth inning by
Owen Hoffman, who was eventually credited with the win for TCNJ (2-2).
The TCNJ bats came alive in the sixth.
Tim Search Jr. began the frame with a walk, after which
Brian Lovaglio smashed a two-run shot over the fence to open the scoring. For Lovaglio, that homer was his second in as many games. Wilkes (1-1) responded in the next inning with a run of their own to cut the lead in half. With nobody out, the Colonels loaded the bases and looked poised to take the lead. Hoffman, however, got out of the jam with a big strikeout and double play.
TCNJ then restored a two-run lead in the eighth inning. Lovaglio led off with a double to left, and then
Joe Tammaro bunted his way to first to put runners on the corners for the Lions. In the next at-bat, a
Jake Carter sac fly drove in Lovaglio to make the score 3-1 in favor of TCNJ.
Wilkes failed to score in the bottom of the eighth, and TCNJ would put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth.
Andrew Pearson and
Braden Dromboski both singled, and Search Jr. advanced them to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. After that, the Colonels notably chose to intentionally walk the sizzling bat of Lovaglio to load the bases. Tammaro drew another walk to log another run for the Lions to make it 4-1, and Mike Contiliano hit a two-run single into center field to tack on a few more.
Andrew Wilkinson protected the five run-lead in the bottom of the ninth to take home a 6-1 road win.
STANDOUT LIONS
- Lovaglio: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB
- Contiliano: 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB
- Greenstein: 4 IP, 0 R, 3 Ks, 1 hit allowed
UP NEXT
- TCNJ travels south on Saturday, Feb. 28 to face off against #4 Salisbury, with first pitch set for 2 PM.
