Media Release April 17
Ewing, NJ – The Lions of the seventh-ranked Lions of The College of New Jersey hosted Rowan University on Thursday at George Ackerman Park in a key New Jersey Athletic Conference contest. Rowan needed 10 innings but came away with the 9-5 win over the Lions to improve to 23-8 overall and 8-4 in the NJAC. TCNJ drops to 23-9 overall and 9-3 in the conference.
The game saw four lead changes and two ties before Rowan tacked on four runs in the top of the tenth to triumph, marking a split for the two teams on the season.
In the top of the sixth, junior John MCMullin (Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) gave Rowan a 4-3 lead after collecting a three-run home run to left center field, his fourth of the year. The lead marked the Profs’ second lead of the game after opening with a 1-0 lead after the top of the second inning.
TCNJ would tie the action at 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of unearned runs as senior Matt Barrett (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) was hit by a pitch to reach and would score before pinch runner Elliot Stein (Middletown, DE/Middletown) scored on a throwing error by the short stop.
In the tenth, senior Joe Franceschini (Toms River, NJ/Toms River East) reached after being hit by TCNJ’s junior Eric Gertie (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) and moved to second on a ground out. Senior Paul Urbanovich (Rutherford, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) doubled to left center field driving in Franceschini. McMullin would reach on a strikeout passed ball and a wild pitch moved Urbanovich over. A Lion error allowed another Prof baserunner before junior Garrett Mull (Chatsworth, NJ/Lenape) would triple to drive in two runs and put Rowan up for good.
Rowan’s senior starting pitcher Ryan Kulik (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) worked six innings and gave five runs, all unearned and struck out six, while walking three in the no decision. Rookie Todd Burdette (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury) worked three innings in earning his first collegiate victory and stands at 1-0 after three scoreless innings with no hits and three strikeouts. Junior reliever Kevin O’Hara (Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) earned his fifth save after an inning of work with a hit and a strikeout.
TCNJ’s senior Nick Amabile (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) worked 5.2 innings for the Lions before senior Brad Kittle (Millville, NJ/Millville) entered the contest and worked 2.2 innings with just two hits and a pair of walks and strikeouts before junior Eric Gertie came in the contest and suffered the loss (3-2) after 1.2 innings of work allowing four runs of which only one was earned with a pair of hits and three strikeouts for the game.
At the plate, TCNJ’s senior catcher Rich Gawlak (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro-South) was 1-5 but drove in a pair of runs for the Lions while senior Bill Kropp (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) and sophomore Chris Esperon (Union, NJ/Union Catholic) were each 2-5.
Rowan’s McMullin finished the day with a 205 effort with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Mull added a 2-3 effort with a pair of runs driven in.
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