EWING, N.J. (April 3, 2025) – The College of New Jersey baseball team hit a pair of home runs and scored three runs over the seventh and eighth innings here Thursday as the Lions rallied to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 5-4, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
 
TCNJ improved to 14-7 overall and 3-0 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden fell to 16-6 overall, snapping a five-game winning streak, and 2-1 in conference play.
 
Taking a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Scarlet Raptors saw the Lions tie the game on an infield single by senior second baseman Mike LaGravenis and a two-run home run by grad student right fielder Gianni Marano.
 
In the bottom of the eighth inning, graduate student catcher Ryan Goodall led off with a solo home run to center field, accounting for the winning run.
 
Prior to the Lions' late rally, Rutgers-Camden had built a 4-2 lead, beginning with a solo home run by senior first baseman Diego Salazar in the second inning. After TCNJ tied the game in the bottom of the second, the Scarlet Raptors scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning on two hits and a pair of TCNJ errors. Both runs scored on an RBI single by junior left fielder Isaiah Pinkney, coupled with an outfield error.
 
TCNJ scored an unearned run in the sixth inning, but Rutgers-Camden countered with a run in the top of the seventh inning. Sophomore shortstop Austin Dubler reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch, giving the Scarlet Raptors their short-lived 4-2 lead.
 
TCNJ's late rally spoiled a strong start by Raptor sophomore pitcher John Ormsby IV, who allowed two hits and two runs, one unearned, over 5.2 innings. TCNJ sophomore Evan Frank (3-0) picked up the win in relief, working 2.1 shutout innings, allowing no hits and two walks, while fanning one.
 
The Lions collected only five hits but took advantage of eight Rutgers-Camden walks. LaGravenis had three of the hits, including a double, while the other two were the game-tying and game-winning home runs.
 
Rutgers-Camden had six players collect one hit apiece, with Salazar hitting a home run and scoring twice. The home run raised Salazar's career total to 96 hits.
 
The two teams play the back end of their home-and-home series on Friday at 3:30 p.m. when the Scarlet Raptors host TCNJ.