NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark fell to The College of New Jersey, 11-9, in a slugfest in the opening round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. 

TCNJ 11, Rutgers-Newark 9

Scarlet Raider junior shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer drove in four runs with an RBI single in the first, an RBI double in the three-run sixth and a two-run triple in the eighth, but the Lions (21-17) hammered out 16 hits against four Rutgers-Newark pitchers.

Senior third baseman Joe Furnaguera belted a two-run homer to left centerfield ahead of a solo shot by junior leftfielder Michael Cassese to stake the Raiders to a 4-3 lead in the third.

Junior centerfielder Michael DiCenso had a two-run single in the sixth before Reitemeyer's double to answer a two-run sixth by the Lions, making the score 7-5.

Furnaguera, DiCenso and sophomore rightfielder Chris Ballester had two hits apiece in the Raiders' 12-hit attack.

TCNJ first leftfielder Chris Esperon hit solo home runs in the first and third innings to help keep the Lions close in the early going against Raider ace Billy Cerruti. Cerruti left the mound after six innings with a 7-5 lead, but the Lions pounced on the Rutgers-Newark bullpen.

Freshman reliever Justin Szablicki was pulled after giving up a double and an RBI single to start the seventh inning. Rookie Matt Larangera (2-1) gave up a double and a two-run single before he stopped the four-run rally which gave TCNJ the lead for good. Lion second baseman Scott Kelly started a two-run eighth with a solo home run off Larangera before senior stopper Michael Hansen came on to get the final six outs.

Sixth-seeded Montclair State shocked top-seeded Rowan, 2-1 in 11 innings, to give the Raiders a home game in Thursday's second round games in the double-elimination tournament. Kean, an 8-7 winner over Richard Stockton, will host TCNJ while Stockton travels to Rowan.

The game time and site of the Montclair State and Rutgers-Newark game is to be determined.