GLASSBORO, NJ – Right-hander Danny Serreino hurled his second consecutive complete game shutout and the Rowan University baseball team edged The College of New Jersey, 1-0 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Friday.
Serreino (jr. Jackson, NJ/Jackson Liberty) surrendered just three hits in the victory. He (4-2) struck out three batters. Serreino has a scoreless innings streak of 25.1 frames across his last three outings. Righty Michael Fischer (jr. Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) pitched all eight innings for the Lions. He (3-3) gave up eight hits and recorded seven strikeouts.
The Profs improve to 23-5 overall and 7-4 in the conference. They are ranked second in the American Baseball Coaches Association Poll and seventh in the D3baseball.com Top 25. TCNJ is 12th in both national polls. The Lions have a 20-6 record with an 8-3 NJAC mark.
Designated hitter Nick Schooley (fr. Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) and second baseman Alex Kokos (so. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) each went two-for-four for Rowan. Shortstop Dillon Mendel (jr. Sparta, NJ/Sparta) knocked in Kokos for the contest's lone run.
TCNJ right fielder Danny Borup (jr. Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro S.), center fielder Thomas Persichetti (so. Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame) and designated hitter Patrick Anderson (sr. Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) registered one hit apiece.
The Lions put the first two men on in the third. The runners moved to second and third after a sacrifice bunt. Serreino caught a line drive back up the middle for the second out and got Persichetti to fly out to get out of the jam. The Profs posted their run in the fourth. Kokos singled up the middle to begin the frame. Kokos advanced to third on a base hit by left fielder Monny Strickland (sr. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.). Mendel laid down a sac bunt and Kokos touched the plate.
TCNJ threatened to tie the score in the ninth. Persichetti hit a leadoff single through the left side then went to second on a wild pitch. He advanced to third when shortstop Zachary Shindler (sr. Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) reached on an error. After Shindler stole second and Serreino produced a strikeout, left fielder Jacob Simon (so. Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown) hit a ground ball to third base. Third baseman Justin Provost (fr. Hackettstown, NJ/Pope John XXIII) fired a perfect strike to catcher Steven Hewa (jr. Galloway, NJ/Absegami), who applied the tag on Persichetti at home plate. Serreino then induced a groundout to end the game.
Rowan travels to Kean University for a conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 21 at 11:30 a.m.