College Baseball/Softball Scores for TCNJ
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
#20 TCNJ SOFTBALL SWEEPS RUTGERS-NEWARK
Ewing, NJ... The College of New Jersey softball celebrated senior day in style as they swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader from Rutgers-Newark on Tuesday afternoon at Dr. June Walker Field.
The 8-0 and 12-7 victories pushed the 20th-ranked Lions record 11-5 in the conference and 24-10 overall. Rutgers-Newark dropped to 8-24 overall and 2-14 in the NJAC.
Game 1
TCNJ 8, Rutgers-Newark 0 (5 innings)
TCNJ’s seniors gave the team the lead in the bottom as Huttner led off with a single and then scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Casale.
The Lions exploded for six runs in the second as 11 players came to the plate. Freshman Christine Desiderio (Babylon, NY/Babylon) got things going with a RBI single and Huttner promptly followed with another run-scoring hit making it a 3-0 lead. Casale made it 5-0 one batter later with a two-run single and freshman Deanna Utter (Byram, NJ/Lenape Valley) capped the inning with a double off of the fence in center field driving in two more runs.
Huttner used her bat to extend the advantage in the last of the third, lacing a double to center as junior Lindsay Williams (Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) easily scored from second making it an 8-0 lead.
Junior Alex Carisone (Branenchburg, NJ/Rutgers Prep) tossed her first shutout of the season as she allowed only three hits and didn’t allow a runner to get past second base. That win bumped her record to 5-2.
Huttner finished with three hits for the Lions, while Williams added a pair.
Rutgers-Newark’s Liane Drastal (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) finished two of the team’s three hits, including a double.
Game 2
TCNJ 12, Rutgers-Newark 7
It was the Scarlet Raiders who jumped out and produced a big inning early in the second time scoring five times in the second inning. The first two runs scored on TCNJ errors, while Vannessa Romero (Garfield, NJ/St. Mary) drove in a run with a ground out and Monica Liotto (Morris Plains, NJ/Parsippany Hills) plated the final two with a double pushing it to a 5-0 lead.
The Lions began their comeback in the bottom half of the inning as Sogluizzo lined a double into the gap in left, driving in both Utter and Williams. The TCNJ trimmed another run off that deficit when Sogluizzo raced home on a throwing error as Huttner swiped second base. The hosts tied the score two batters later when Hommen doubled in Huttner and Casale.
The tie didn’t last long when Rutgers-Newark’s Monica Bagan (Wallington, NJ/Wallington) hit a solo home run to lead off the third inning making it 6-5.
The see-saw affair continued in the bottom of the third as Sogluizzo put the Lions back in front two her second, two-run double of the game. She made it an 8-6 lead when she stole third and advanced home when the throw went into the outfield.
The Scarlet Raiders tacked on a run in the fifth on a base hit and three free passes. Helmer was able to end the inning with a strikeout with the bases soaked to avoid any further damage.
The Lions responded by putting the game out of reach as they plated two runs in the fifth and sixth. Casale roped a two-out, two-run double to left-center field to plate Sogluizzo and Fitzsimmons. In the following frame, Fitzsimmons stroked a base hit to right to score to more baserunners and put TCNJ up 12-7. That was plenty of breathing room to give Helmer her 14th mound victory of her rookie campaign.
At the end of the doubleheader, TCNJ recognized its four seniors for their contributions to the program. Those honored were Michelle Casale (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), Kelly Hommen (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood), Liz Huttner (Princeton Junction, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South), and Ashley Sogluizzo (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South).
TCNJ caps the regular season with two more conference games on Saturday, April 27 at William Paterson University, while the Scarlet Raiders are home on Thursday for a non-conference doubleheader against the College of St. Elizabeth.
Lions down Devils 8-5
Madison, NJ … The College of New Jersey baseball team captured its fourth straight victory as they defeated FDU-Florham 8-5 in Madison, NJ.
Sophomore John Spinapont (Point Pleasant, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) tasted victory for the first time on the mound as he earned his first collegiate win. Spinapoint (1-0) pitched well in his first start a week ago and toed the rubber on Tuesday to put forth another quality performance. He gave up up four runs in six innings and struck out three.
Sophomore David Rondesko (Souther River, NJ/South River) came on in relief to pitch two scoreless innings before Benito Gonzalez (Perth Amboy, NJ/Princeton) finished of the win in the ninth.
Senior Michael Murphy (Staten Island, NY/Staten Island Tech) led the offense with three hits. He also drove in a run and scored one. The three-hit performance now gives Murphy 198 hits in his career.
The Lions put three runs on the board in the second inning to take command of the away contest. Murphy doubled down the line to open the inning and came home on a Paul Searles (Holmdel, NJ/Holmdel) sacrifice fly. Junior Joe Dispoto (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) delivered a two-run single later in the inning to put TCNJ up 3-0.
The Devils countered with a run in the bottom of the frame, but a single off the bat of Anthonly Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) scored Scott Kelly (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-North) who had singled to lead off the inning. Cocuzza stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and came home to score on an error.
TCNJ was outhit 13-6 in the game, but capitalized on shaky defensive play by FDU. They scored their final three runs on just two hits. Murphy singled up the middle for a run, Cocuzza lifted a sacrifice fly, and their final run came in the eighth when John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) raced on an infield error.
TCNJ returns to conference action on Thursday, April 25 when they visit Rowan University for a 3:30 p.m. start.