TCNJ Resumes NCAA Tourney with Win
Over Etown
LAKEWOOD, N.J. (5/1/609) - The College of New
Jersey broke a tie in the seventh inning and defeated Elizabethtown
College, 5-3, in a game resumed on Saturday morning, after heavy
fog forced the game to be suspended on Friday evening.
The fifth-seeded Lions (27-17-1) advanced to face second-seeded
Keystone College in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon, with
the winner of that game earning the right to take on top-seeded
Kean University in the championship game.
Elizabethtown closed out their season in the NCAA tournament for
the 10th time in program history, as the sixth-seeded
Blue Jays finished 29-15.
When action resumed on Saturday following the Friday night delay
with the Lions leading 3-2, the Blue Jays pulled even with TCNJ in
the bottom of the sixth as senior Eric Luff doubled in
sophomore Anthony Heaps (Landenberg, Pa.), who had doubled
earlier in the inning.
The Lions quickly countered to regain the lead in the top of the
seventh as freshman James Ruzich (Verona, N.J.)
doubled and came around to score on a base hit up the middle by
Jeff Toth (Parlin, N.J.) to make it a 4-3 game.
In the eighth, TCNJ padded its lead with an insurance run as
senior Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, N.J.) hit a double
into the gap in left scoring Mike Galeotafiore (Brick,
N.J.).
Senior pitcher Pat Johnson (Hamilton, N.J.)
picked up the win throwing three innings of relief for the Lions
improving to 3-0 on the year.
On Friday, the game was halted in the top of the sixth inning
with one out and a Lion on second base.
The Lions took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against
the Blue Jays, as Vince Mazzaccaro (Gloucester,
N.J.) drove in a pair with a single through the left side.
Elizabethtown trimmed the lead in half in the bottom half of the
inning when junior Brian Kiernan (Garden City, N.Y.) drove
in a run with a base hit.
Two innings later, the Blue Jays knotted the score at two as
junior Rodney Francis (Pottstown, Pa.) led the inning off
with a double and would come around to score later in the inning on
a groundout by Tom Semanek (Swoyersville, Pa.).
TCNJ regained the lead in the fifth as Ruzich got hit by a pitch
and came around to score on a double into the gap in right by
junior Chris Esperon (Union. N.J.) for a 3-2 lead.
The game was then delayed in the sixth after freshman
Andrew Priece (Bridgewater, N.J.) had a high fly
ball into the outfield that resulted in a one-out double.
