Box Score
EWING, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team held on for a 3-2 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) win at The College of New Jersey on Thursday.
Rowan has a 13-6 record with a five-game win streak. The Profs are undefeated in the conference with a 5-0 mark. TCNJ drops to 8-12 overall and 2-3 in the NJAC. Last week, the Profs also defeated the Lions, 3-2 (Apr. 1) in Glassboro.
Right-hander Mike Swietanski (jr. West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford) pitched seven innings for the win. He (1-0) scattered five hits and had three strikeouts. Righty John O’Hara (jr. Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) was on the mound for the last two outs and earned his third save. Right-hander Greg Spatz (sr. Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Twp.) took the loss for the Lions. Spatz (3-2) gave up five hits and two earned runs.
For the Profs, first baseman Matt Johanson (sr. Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) contributed with two hits in three at bats, a double and one run scored. Center fielder Matt Citro (jr. Bloomsbury, NJ/Phillipsburg), left fielder Scott Weaver (jr. Ledgewood, NJ/Roxbury) and third baseman Brad Woodend (jr. Medford, NJ/Shawnee) each had one hit and one RBI. Second baseman Dave Lenig (sr. Pennsville, NJ/Pennsville Mem.) scored two runs and added one hit.
Lions’ third baseman Nick Cifelli (fr. Ewing, NJ/Ewing) totaled three hits in four trips to the plate and one RBI. Center fielder Ed Zakrzewski (so. Three Bridges, NJ/Hunterdon Central) registered two hits (four at bats) and one run scored. Second baseman Scott Kelly (fr. West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro N.) added two hits (five at bats) and one run scored.
TCNJ scored first with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Kelly led off with a single and later came home on Cifelli’s hit to center field. Rowan tied the score in the top of the third. Weaver drove in Lenig with a single. Lenig was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
The Profs went up 3-1 with one run in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, Lenig got on base with a single and went to second on a sac bunt by shortstop Marc Magliaro (so. Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.). Citro plated Lenig with a single to center field. Johanson started the eighth with a double to left field. Right fielder Jordan Marsch (sr. Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.) was hit by a pitch and designated hitter Eric Newell (jr. Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon Heights) followed with a single to load the bases. Woodend recorded a sacrifice fly that scored Johanson.
TCNJ’s final run came in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Zakrewski and Kelly each had a single to left field. Left-hander Curtis Arsi (so. Washington Twp., NJ/Westwood Reg.) replaced righty Ryan Peterson (jr. Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) who had entered the game in the bottom of the eighth. Shortstop Jason Zegarski (jr. Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrenceville) walked which moved Kelly to second and Zakrewski to third. O’Hara then came in for Arsi. Left fielder Chris Esperon’s (sr. Union, NJ/Union Catholic) ground out brought home Zakrz0ewski. Then the Lions’ third out was a ground ball to second base.
Rowan is on the road again at Richard Stockton College on Friday, April 9 for a 3:30 p.m. conference game.
