EWING, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team defeated The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), 6-2 in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action on Thursday afternoon. 
 
With the win, the Profs have a 24-6 record and they are in first place in the conference standings with a 10-2 NJAC mark. The Lions are 23-5 overall and 9-3 in the conference. In the latestD3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Top 25, Rowan is ranked fourth while TCNJ is seventh. In the American Baseball Coaches Association Poll, the Lions are fourth and the Brown and Gold sits sixth.
 
Center fielder Matt Woods (sr. Berlin, NJ/Eastern Reg.), shortstop Dillon Mendel (sr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta), first baseman Anthony Harrold (sr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), right fielder Eric Schorr (jr. Audubon, NJ/Audubon), catcher Steven Hewa (sr. Galloway, NJ/Absegami) and second baseman Nick Schooley (so. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) all tallied two hits for Rowan. Mendel had two runs batted in (RBI) and one run. Harrold, Hewa and Schooley chipped in a RBI apiece. 
 
Right-hander Danny Serreino (sr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) earned the win on the mound (3-2), pitching seven innings, allowing five hits and two runs and striking out 11 batters. Right-hander Jean Sapini (so. South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) recorded his first save on the season, tossing two frames and giving up no hits. 
 
For TCNJ,center fielder Thomas Persichetti (jr. Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame) and first baseman Tommy McCarthy (sr. Allentown, NJ/Allentown) each contributed a double and one RBI. Catcher David Cardona III (jr. Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) and designated hitter Grant Sible (fr. Clinton, NJ/North Hunterdon) both crossed home plate one time. Right-hander Nickolas Kleftogiannis (jr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill W.) was the losing pitcher (0-1). He threw three innings and allowed seven hits, four runs and one earned. 
 
It was a defensive battle over the first four innings and neither side could not score any runs. Rowan broke the stalemate in the fifth to lead, 2-0. Hewa got on base with a single to right field and third baseman Eric DiDomenico (fr. Blackwood, NJ/Paul IV) walked. Both runners advanced on a bunt by Schooley. The Profs plated two runs when Mendel singled up the middle.
 
TCNJ cut the margin to 2-1 in the sixth. Cardona led with a double down the right field line and moved to third on the next out. McCarthy knocked in Cardona with a groundout to the shortstop. The Lions tied the score at two in the seventh whenPersichetti doubled to right center and scored Sible.
 
The Brown and Gold went ahead, 4-2 in the eighth. Walker scored on a Lions' throwing error and Schooley drove in Harrold with a single to left field. TCNJ put runners in scoring positions in the bottom half, but back-to-back fielder's choices from the Rowan defense allowed it to escape the inning and remain out front. 
 
The Profs tacked on two runs in the ninth frame to have a 6-2 advantage. Harrold and Hewa each had a RBI single. 
 
The baseball team hosts Ramapo College for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 20, starting at 11:30 a.m.