EWING, N.J. (April 2, 2017) – No. 16 The College of New Jersey defeated Rutgers University-Newark in a pair of New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball games Sunday in Ewing.
 
Playing for the first time since way back on March 18, Rutgers-Newark was unable to overcome the nationally-ranked Lions. TCNJ took the opener 8-1 and came back to earn a 13-5 triumph in the nightcap.
 
Rutgers-Newark returns to the diamond Monday at Drew University in a non-conference showdown. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. The Raiders are now 10-5 overall and 0-2 in the NJAC ,while TCNJ moves to 2-0 in the league and 12-5 overall.
 
TCNJ 8, Rutgers-Newark 1
The Lions bested the Scarlet Raiders in the opener, pushing across two in second and three in the third for a 5-1 edge, and extending with three tallies in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
Rutgers-Newark totaled eight hits in the contest, getting two apiece from freshman JC Ball and junior Anthony Perconte. Senior Josh Cote, junior Adam Tricarico, freshman Connor Clare and junior Brian Boulineau had the other hits, with Tricarico picking up an RBI. Junior Ross Halkias scored the R-N run.
 
The Scarlet Raiders went in front in the second inning when Tricarico plated Halkias with a single, but TCNJ responded and took the lead for good in the bottom half of the frame with a pair.
 
Sophomore Anthony Rosoline got the start for Rutgers-Newark and went seven innings, giving up eight runs on nine hits while striking out three. Rosoline took the loss, falling to 2-1 on the season. Freshman Michael Katims tossed the final frame for the Raiders, giving up no runs and two hits.
 
Joe Cirillo went the distance for TCNJ, giving up eight hits and striking out 10 to move to 1-0. Outfielders Mike Follet and Jacob Simon each had three hits for the Lions in the opener.
 
TCNJ 13, Rutgers-Newark 5
The Lions bested the Scarlet Raiders in the nightcap, opening a 10-0 lead and never looking back. The Lions pushed across three markers in the third, fourth and fifth – adding a single tally in the sixth to take a 10-0 lead.
 
Boulineau was responsible for the first two Rutgers-Newark runs, lacing a double to left-center to bring home Tricarico and Halkias. A Perconte groundout plated sophomore Ryan Zucker to make it a 10-3 baseball game, and a two RBI hit from Tricarico allowed Halkias and freshman Colin Powers to score and make it a 10-5 contest.
 
TCNJ scored three runs in the eighth for the final difference as Rutgers-Newark pocketed eight hits and three walks in the game, getting two knocks from Halkias and Tricarico. Tricarico and Boulineau each had two RBI, while sophomore Ryan Zucker, Cote, Boulineau and newcomer John Klimowich all picked up one base hit. Cote had a stolen base and both Tricarico and Boulineau tallied doubles.
 
Junior Mike Zibrin started for Rutgers-Newark, tossing four innings and allowing six runs on seven hits and three strikeouts. The third-year Raider falls to 3-1 with the loss.