EWING, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team suffered a 9-4 setback at The College of New Jersey in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Sunday afternoon.
The defeat ended the Profs' six-game win streak. Rowan is 25-6 overall and 9-5 in the conference. It is ranked second in the American Baseball Coaches Association Poll and seventh in the D3baseball.com Top 25. The Lions improve to 23-6 and they are in first place in the NJAC with an 11-3 record. TCNJ is ranked 12th in both national polls.
Third baseman Austin Lindsay (sr. New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) led the Lions with three hits (four at bats), a double, a home run, three RBIs and two runs. Center fielder Thomas Persichetti (so. Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame), left fielder Jacob Simon (so. Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) and catcher David Cardona III (so. Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) each drove in one run. Persichetti scored twice. Right fielder Danny Borup (jr. Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro S.), first baseman Tommy McCarthy (jr. Allentown, NJ/Allentown), second baseman Ryan Fischer (jr. Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) and Persichetti had one double apiece.
Right-hander Michael Walley (so. Yardley, PA/Notre Dame) threw five innings for the win (3-1). He gave up four runs and eight hits while striking out four. Righty Andrew DiPiazza (jr. Bayville, NJ/Central Reg.) suffered his first loss of the season (5-1).
Profs' second baseman Alex Kokos (so. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) was three-for-four with a home run. First baseman Anthony Harrold (jr. Woodbury, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and catcher Zach Leach (so. Long Valley, NJ/Pope John XXIII) each recorded two hits and scored a run. Harrold blasted a home run along with shortstop Dillon Mendel (jr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta). Harrold added a double. Center fielder Kyle Golla (sr. Palm Coast, FL/Allentown (NJ)) registered a double and one RBI.
TCNJ started the scoring in the second when Lindsay smacked a leadoff homer to left field. The Lions added two runs in the third. Fischer led off with a double. Persichetti reached on an error and he came home with Fischer on Lindsay's double to center. Rowan tied the score in the fourth. Harrold began the frame with a home run. Mendel homered two batters later. Leach singled with two outs and scored on Golla's double to left center.
TCNJ regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. McCarthy posted a leadoff double and scored on Cardona's sacrifice fly. Kokos homered to left in the fifth and the score was tied at four. The Lions went ahead for good in the bottom of the inning. Borup and Persichetti started with back-to-back doubles. Persichetti later came home on a wild pitch and TCNJ was ahead 6-4. The Lions added three insurance runs in the eighth. One run scored on a fielder's choice while two touched the plate on an error.
The Profs host Salisbury University for a non-conference contest on Monday, April 23 at 3:30 p.m.