EWING, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team took the back end of the home-and-home series with The College of New Jersey, defeating the 13th-ranked Lions, 5-4 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) contest on Friday.
The Profs up their record to 23-11 overall and 7-5 in the conference. TCNJ has a 22-7 record with a 10-2 NJAC mark.
Right-hander Brad Machinski (sr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill W.) threw 7.1 innings for the win. He (5-1) surrendered four runs, three earned, and nine hits while striking out three. Righty Rob Grilli (sr. Middletown, NJ/Middletown S.) did not allow a hit in the final 1.2 frames for his third save. Right-handed pitcher Michael Walley (fr. Yardley, PA/Notre Dame) suffered the loss (1-1).
Rowan designated hitter Shawn Leydon (jr. Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) went two-for-four and scored once. Center fielder Frankie Aiello (fr. Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo) belted his first career home run. Catcher Steven Hewa (so. Galloway, NJ/Absegami) drove in two runs and right fielder Michael Decker (so. Montgomery, NJ/Montgomery) tallied a double and one RBI. Third baseman Matt Jolly (sr. Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) knocked in one run. Left fielder Jason Clapper (sr. Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape), second baseman Alex Kokos (fr. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) and first baseman Joe Sadler (jr. Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) each touched the plate one time.
Shortstop Zachary Shindler (jr. Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) led the Lions with three hits (five at bats), a double, one RBI and two runs scored. Left fielder Jacob Simon (fr. Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) was three-for-three and scored one time. Catcher CJ Gearhart (sr. Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) posted a triple and one RBI. Third baseman Austin Lindsay (jr. New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) had one RBI and designated hitter Danny Borup (so. Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro S.) crossed the plate once.
The Profs opened the scoring in the second. Sadler led off with a single to left and advanced to second on a ground out. Decker followed with a RBI double to left and Rowan led 1-0. TCNJ took its only lead in the third with two runs. Borup walked with one out then stole second. Shindler doubled to right center to score Borup and tie the game. Gearhart sent a triple down the right field line and Shindler came home for the 2-1 advantage.
Aiello began the fifth with a homer to left to even the score at two. Later in the inning, Jolly's sacrifice fly plated Kokos and the Profs were ahead 3-2. Rowan registered two more runs in the seventh. Clapper and Leydon both walked. Jolly's infield single loaded the bases for Hewa, whose base hit to right plated Clapper and Leydon.
The Lions recorded one run in both the seventh and eighth innings. Shinder scored in the seventh on Shindler's sac fly and Simon came home on a wild pitch in the eighth. Grilli retired the side in order in the ninth to close out the victory.
The Profs battle conference rival Kean University in a home doubleheader on Saturday, April 22 at 11:30 a.m.