MADISON, N.J. – Big games from its deep stable of rookies helped the TCNJ baseball team salvage a split of a Saturday double-header at FDU-Florham on Saturday.
 
Playing the first two legs of a three-game weekend series, the Lions (3-5) dropped a narrow 5-3 decision in the opener but roared back for an 8-5 victory in the nightcap. Joe Tammaro smacked his first career home run in Game 2, while fellow first-year Nate McLaughlin drove in four runs and Andrew Wilkinson pitched three innings for his first collegiate save.
 
Jake Carter paced the pride with four hits on the day, headlined by a three-hit effort in the opener.
 
Game 1: FDU-Florham 5, TCNJ 3
The Lions struck first in the top of the second, when Tyler Provost worked a walk and went first-to-third on a base hit by Brian Lovaglio. Carter kept it going with an RBI single to left, and TCNJ doubled its advantage by successfully executing a double-steal with Lovaglio swiping home as the lead runner.
 
After a scoreless first, L.C. Smith battled control issues in the bottom half of the second, loading the bases with no outs on a walk and two hit batsmen. Peter Longo took advantage, clearing the bases with a three-run double and later scoring on a sacrifice fly to give the Devils a 4-2 advantage.
 
The score stayed right there for the next four innings, with TCNJ's Tyler Perry retiring five of the six batters he faced in his debut and John DiCostanzo following with a gem in relief, working four consecutive scoreless frames with four strikeouts and just hit allowed.
 
FDU's Chris Kaponis was dominant after the second, striking out 10 batters and working into the seventh, but that's when the Lions finally chased him. Carter led off the frame with his second hit of the day, then took second on an infield hit from Braden Dromboski. McLaughlin then served a single into left-center, scoring Carter with the first RBI of his career, but the Devils' reliever induced an inning-ending double play to preserve the now one-run lead at 4-3.
 
Tammaro was hit by a pitch with one out in the eighth and eventually moved to third, but was left stranded, and the Devils tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half with the help of a Lions error. DiCostanzo, however, did manager to strand the bases loaded to keep TCNJ within reach at 5-3.
 
Carter led off the ninth with a base hit to center and stole second, but the Lions were unable to muster anything more and slipped to a two-run defeat.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Carter: 3-for-4, 2 SB, 1 RBI, 1 R
• DiCostanzo: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Perry: 1.2 IP, 0 ER

Game 2: TCNJ 8, FDU-Florham 5
TCNJ drew first blood again in Game 2, going in front 1-0 in the top of the first on a two-out solo homer by Tammaro, the first round-tripper of his career.
 
FDU answered with a run of its own in the second, but TCNJ went right back in front in the third as Jack O'Donnell took second on a groundout after his leadoff single and scored on Provost's RBI single with one out, which came after Tammaro had drawn a walk.
 
Jalen Maharaja kept the Lions in front, 2-1, by retiring the side in the third and fourth frames. He gave way to Austin Hanni, who worked out of a jam in the fifth by getting John Rolli to ground into a 6-4 fielder's choice on a 3-0 count with two on.
 
TCNJ broke it open in the sixth, when McLaughlin split the gap in right-center for a bases-clearing double after singles by Provost and Chris Salmon sandwiched around a hit batsman.
 
FDU got two runs right back in the bottom half to make it 5-3, but the Lions countered immediately in the seventh. Back-to-back singles by Provost and Tammaro and a four-pitch walk to Salmon loaded the bags, and McLauglin's walk brought in a run and re-loaded the bases for Dromboski, who plated two more with a single to left to extend the lead to 8-3. 
 
The Devils loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Wilkinson managed to limit the damage to two runs and TCNJ took an 8-5 edge into the eighth. Wilkinson got out of trouble again in the ninth, putting two on with only one out before getting the next two batters to nail down the victory and his first career save.
 
Maharaja earned his first career win, allowing just the one earned run in four innings of work.
 
STANDOUT LIONS

• Maharaja: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Tammaro: 2-for-4, HR, 2 R
• Provost: 3-for-4, RBI, 2 R
• McLaughlin: 2-for-3, 2B, 4 RBI
• Wilkinson (SV): 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 K

UP NEXT

• The Lions wrap up the three-game series with a single game on Sunday