Ewing, NJ I The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team opened its New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) slate this afternoon with a pair of tough losses at TCNJ, 7-1 and 5-3. The Scarlet Raiders are now 5-8 (0-2 NJAC) while the Lions improve to 13-2 (2-0 NJAC).

R-N continues its season on Tuesday with a non-conference matchup at Lehman College with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m.

Game 1: TCNJ 7, Rutgers-Newark 1
In the opener, the teams were scoreless through four innings as both starters asserted themselves. The Raiders ace was fantastic early, allowing just one hit in the first before retiring 10 straight batters to keep the hosts off the board.

In the top of the fifth, the visitors struck first. Chris Suleski led off the frame with a single to left before Anthony Ricardo added a base knock of his own and Ryan Zucker drove Suleski home on an RBI single.

Unfortunately, that lead would be short-lived as the Lions capitalized on two errors and four hits to score four times and claim a 4-1 advantage that they would not concede.

TCNJ's starter Peter Nielsen was phenomenal, hurling a complete game and scattering eight hits while allowing just one run and striking out four. Rojas suffered the loss after six innings of work, giving up six runs (four earned) and fanning five opponents.

Zucker and Connor Clare led the Raiders offensively. Zucker was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Clare went 2-of-4 as the two R-N players to record multi-hit contests.

Game 2: TCNJ 5, Rutgers-Newark 3
The second half of the doubleheader was a tough see-saw battle. The visitors again got on the board first, this time scoring in the opening inning. Dominic Magliaro ripped a one-out single through the left side before Luke Magliaro followed up with a base hit to the same spot, sending Dominic to third. After a stolen base, Kevin Tamsula drove Dominic Magliaro home with a single to left-center.

The score remained 1-0 for the first four and a half frames as R-N starter Anthony Rosoline continued his recent stretch of strong pitching. Rosoline limited the Lions to just four baserunners in the first four innings while keeping them off the board. Unfortunately, TCNJ was able to capitalize on an error to eke out a pair of runs that put the hosts in front 2-1.

Still, the Scarlet Raiders would not back down and fought their way into the lead in the seventh. Zucker led off with a walk and promptly stole second before Dominic Magliaro singled him over to third. Dominic Magliaro proceeded to nab second base and two batters later, Tamsula moved him over to third while allowing Zucker to score on an RBI groundout that evened the game at 2-2. Clare was next and he came through with a clutch RBI base knock through the left side of the infield, scoring Dominic Magliaro and making it 3-2 in favor of the visitors.

Unfortunately, TCNJ would score three runs off reliever Casey Hanley in the bottom of the eighth and hold on for the 5-3 victory.

Rosoline took a no decision after seven innings of work allowing two runs (none earned), walking one, and striking out four. Hanley took the loss from a rough 0.2-inning appearance with Marcus James closing out the eighth with a strikeout.

Offensively, Clare was 3-for-5 with an RBI, Dominic Magliaro went 2-for-4 with two runs and a walk, Suleski was 2-for-5, and Tamsula contributed two RBI.