EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team started their home schedule with a win on Wednesday afternoon, overcoming an early deficit against Widener to win by a single run.
 
Widener (7-10) scored the first run of the afternoon in the top of the second inning, but TCNJ (8-10) responded with a run of their own in the third. Antonio Destribats, who batted seventh in his first career start, drew a walk with one out in the inning. Jesse Beer was then hit by a pitch, and then Jack O'Donnell singled into left to load the bases. Brian Lovaglio then drove in Destribats with a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
The Lions held Widener scoreless in the fourth inning, as Bodhi Lettieri retired the side in just eight pitches. Lettieri had the most efficient day out of the nine TCNJ pitchers who saw action on the mound. Widener scored twice in the following inning however, giving the Lions a 3-1 deficit going into the sixth inning.
 
In the sixth, TCNJ put up three runs to retake the lead after Alex Luchynskyi held Widener without a hit in the top of the inning. Michael Contiliano led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, and Tyler Provost got on base next after a hit-by-pitch. Jake Carter then cut the deficit in half with his second hit of the day — a double down the left-field line which scored Contiliano. Braden Dromboski batted in another run immediately afterwards, as flew out deep to left and allowed Provost to tag up and score. After that, a balk by the Widener pitcher advanced Carter to third, setting the stage for Joe Tammaro to take the lead. His grounder was picked up by the shortstop who tried to throw Carter out at the plate, but Carter beat out the throw to give his team a 4-3 lead.
 
In the top of the eighth, Widener tied up the game but then allowed three runs again to the Lions. Widener made a pitching change to begin the frame, and the Lions put the pressure on immediately. Dromboski found himself on second after a single and wild pitch, and Tammaro drove him in with a single to retake the lead. TCNJ later loaded the bases after Beer walked and O'Donnell was hit by a pitch, and Lovaglio capitalized on the opportunity with a two-run single that gave the Lions a 7-4 lead.
 
The three-run lead proved to be crucial in the ninth, as Widener loaded the bases. A single through the right side cut the lead to just a single run, but Jalen Maharaja was able to secure the save in the end. He forced the next batter into a grounder to Tammaro, and the freshman got the unassisted force at third base to end the game.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Carter: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R
• Lettieri: 1.0 IP, 0 hits allowed, 0 ER, 1 K, 8 pitches

 
UP NEXT

• The Lions will play another home game tomorrow (Thursday, March 26); they host Haverford with first pitch scheduled for 3:30 PM.