MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – In their last game of their week in South Carolina, the TCNJ baseball team suffered a narrow 2-1 loss against Ursinus.
Just like their earlier matchup two weeks ago, this contest between the Lions (7-10) and the Bears (13-4) was decided by just one run. Despite the loss, TCNJ's pitching staff performed well.
Jesse Beer had a nice outing as the Lions starter; despite his heavy workload at shortstop this week, he pitched five solid innings and held Ursinus to just a single run and four hits.
John DiCostanzo entered the game in the sixth, and also allowed just a run in the two innings that he pitched.
Jalen Maharaja also made an appearance in the game, pitching a scoreless eighth inning.
Offensively, TCNJ's bats were held hitless until the fifth inning, when
Braden Dromboski singled through the right side of the infield. Michael Contilaino also singled in the following inning, but the Lions would have to wait until the seventh frame to log their first run of the contest. In that inning, with his team down by two. Dromboski hit a ball to the right-field corner and rounded second heading for third. The throw got there in time, but the Bears' third baseman lost the ball on the tag to give Dromboski a triple.
Tim Search Jr. then drew a walk to put runners on the corners, and
Joe Tammaro batted in the first run of the game with a single down the left-field line.
The Lions recorded two hits in each of the last two innings, but were unable to tie up the game. In the ninth, TCNJ had runners on first and second with two outs after a Tammaro single, an
Andrew Pearson sacrifice bunt, and a
Jack O'Donnell HBP. Contiliano then hit a grounder to the middle of the infield, and the second baseman made an errant throw trying to get the force at second. Luckily for the Bears, however, the broken play turned into a rundown which led to Tammaro being tagged out at the plate for the final out.
STANDOUT LIONS
- Beer: 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 hits allowed, 1 K
- Dromboski: 2-3, 1 3B, 1 R, 1 BB
- Tammaro: 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
- Contiliano: 2-5
UP NEXT
- After having concluded their week in Myrtle Beach, the Lions head back up to Ewing to open their home slate on Monday, March 23, against Penn State Berks. The game is set to begin at 3:30 PM.
