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TCNJ Advances to NJAC Championship With 6-4 Victory Over Montclair State

Baseball

TCNJ Advances to NJAC Championship With 6-4 Victory Over Montclair State

Box Score

GLASSBORO, NJ – Fourth seeded The College of New Jersey had a 6-4 victory over the sixth seed Montclair State University in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The tournament in being played at Rowan University.

TCNJ (23-18) advances to the championship against Kean University (31-10) on Sunday, May 9 at noon. If the Lions win, a second game will be played to determine the champion because it is a double elimination format. Earlier on Saturday, Montclair State (21-18) lost to Kean, 12-3. In the second game of the day, TCNJ topped Rowan (24-14-1), 6-4. Rowan and Montclair State must wait until Sunday, May 16 to see if they receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.

Lions’ right-hander Joe Marchitelli (jr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Mem.) pitched a complete game for the win. He (2-1) only allowed one earned run and struck out 15 hitters. Righty Will Traverso (sr. Verona, NJ/Verona) took the loss for the Red Hawks. He (2-2) threw one inning in relief and gave up one run.

TCNJ third baseman Nick Cifelli (fr. Ewing, NJ/Ewing) went four for four with two RBIs and a double. Catcher Mike Galeotafiore (so. Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) totaled one hit (five at bats), two RBIs and one run scored. Shortstop Jason Zegarski (jr. Lawrenceville, NJ/Lawrence) was two for four with two runs scored. Second baseman Scott Kelly (fr. West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro N.) added two hits (four at bats), one run scored and a double.

Left fielder Chris Esperon (sr. Union, NJ/Union Catholic) and first baseman James Ruzich (so. Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberly Academy) each scored once. Designated hitter Ryan Anzelone (sr. Vernon, NJ/Vernon Twp.) and right fielder Michael Murphy (fr. Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) each drove in one run.

For Montclair State, left fielder Mickey McGraw (so. Morristown, NJ/Morristown) compiled two hits (four at bats), two runs scored, one RBI and a triple. Right fielder Scott Evangelist (sr. Northfield, NJ/Holy Spirit) and center fielder Michael Boggi (jr. Towaco, NJ/Montville) both produced one hit (four at bats) and one RBI. First baseman Sam Politan (so. Livingston, NJ/Livingston) and third baseman Kevin Miller (so. Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) scored one run apiece.

The Red Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. McGraw tripled down the right field line and he came in a ground out by Evangelist. The Lions tied the game (1-1) in the second. Galeotafiore reached base on an error and moved to second on a ground out. Cifelli singled up the middle to put runners at the corners. Galeotafiore crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Anzelone.

Montclair scored three runs in the third for a 4-1 advantage. Politan walked and later scored on an error. McGraw singled in Miller and Boggi’s single to left field knocked in McGraw. In the bottom of the fifth, Kelly, Zegarski and Esperon all singled to load the bases with no outs. Kelly came home on a ground out by Galeotafiore. Cifelli ripped a double down the left field line plating Esperon and Zegarski. TCNJ recorded one run in the seventh and eighth innings. Ruzich went home on a ground out by Murphy in the seventh. Galeotafiore’s single scored Zegarski in the eighth.

Tickets for the NJAC Championship Tournament are $5 for adults and $2 for students with ID, senior citizens and children. The remaining schedule for the NJAC Baseball Championship Tournament is below. Results and the updated schedule for the double elimination conference tournament will be available at rowanathletics.com and njacsports.com.

Tue., May 4 (at higher seeds)
Game 1 - #6 Montclair State University 3, #1 Rowan University 2 (11 inn.)
Game 2 - #2 Kean University 8, #5 Richard Stockton College 7
Game 3 - #4 The College of New Jersey 11, #3 Rutgers-Newark 9

Thu., May 6 (at higher seeds)
Game 4 - #1 Rowan University 10, #5 Richard Stockton College 7
(Richard Stockton is eliminated.)
Game 5 - #6 Montclair State University 13, #3 Rutgers-Newark 10
(Rutgers-Newark is eliminated.)
Game 6 - #2 Kean University 6, #4 The College of New Jersey 1

Sat., May 8 (at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ)
Game 7 – #2 Kean University 12, #6 Montclair State University 3
Game 8 – #4 The College of New Jersey 6, #1 Rowan University 4
(Rowan is eliminated.)
Game 9 – #4 The College of New Jersey 6, #6 Montclair State University 4
(Montclair State is eliminated.)

Sun., May 9 (at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ)
Game 10 – #2 Kean University (31-10) vs. #4 The College of New Jersey (23-18), noon
Game 11 – same as game 10 (if necessary), TBA
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