EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ baseball team suffered their first NJAC loss of the season on Thursday, dropping a 17-8 decision at home against defending conference champions Rutgers-Camden. The game was suspended at the top of the ninth inning for darkness, and the game was declared complete a few hours later.
Despite the loss, the first half of the game was all TCNJ (11-11). Rutgers-Camden (11-10) scored the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the opening frame, but TCNJ responded by scoring the next five runs of the contests.
Jesse Beer and
Brian Lovaglio accounted for two RBIs each in that span, and
Nate McLaughlin marked his return from injury with an RBI as well. TCNJ added a couple more runs in the fourth inning — largely thanks to a few Scarlet Raptor miscues — to take an 8-2 lead into the fifth inning.
In the sixth, TCNJ starter
Andrew Wilkinson was replaced on the mound after a solid 89-pitch outing in which he allowed just one earned run, three hits, and three walks. Upon Wilkinson's exit, the game began to favor the visitors until the very end. Rutgers-Camden scored the last 15 runs of the inning, scoring twice in the seventh, five times in the eighth, and eight times in the ninth before it became too dark to continue. As a result, the Lions were defeated at home for the first time this season.
STANDOUT LIONS
UP NEXT
- The Lions have a quick turnaround and an immediate opportunity for redemption, as they travel to Camden to face off against the Scarlet Raptors once again on Friday, April 3. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM.
