By Miguel Gonzalez
Photo Editor
The Lions kept on winning this past week, as they defeated Farmingdale State College and swept New Jersey Athletic Conference foes Stockton University and New Jersey City University.
During a Tuesday afternoon at George Ackerman Park, the baseball team halted Farmingdale State’s 13-game winning streak and smashed ist opponent 10-1 on April 9. Leading 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the team exploded with eight runs. Senior infielder Danny Borup led the offense’s performance with four hits.
After the offense’s powerful inning, the team cruised by as freshman pitcher Tom Kelly blanked Farmingdale. By the end of his start in the bottom of the sixth, Kelly racked up seven strikeouts and only allowed three hits. The Lions then utilized a trio of pitchers to seal the win.
The team’s offense then transformed into a well oiled machine in a two-game series against Stockton University. Starting off with a another home match on Thursday, April 11, the baseball team chopped Stockton’s defense and won 17-1. Junior catcher David Cardona III and senior infielder Ryan Fischer led the offensive blitz, as they both recorded three hits.
Moreover, 10 players recorded a hit, forcing Stockton to utilize a staggering six pitchers. In the midst of the blowout, senior pitcher Andrew Rowan left Stockton dry, allowing only one run and tossing a complete game.
The Lions didn’t miss a beat when they obliterated Stockton again 12-1 in Pomona, New Jersey on Friday, April 12. While the offense continued to pound Stockton, the Lions turned to freshman infielder/pitcher Matt Volpe and sophomore pitcher Joseph Felipe for solid pitching. Volpe managed to surrender only one run and Felipe tossed out four scoreless innings.
Heading into a doubleheader at home on Saturday, April 14, the Lions stood on top of conference with a 7-1 conference record. Their next opponent, New Jersey City University, didn’t appear to be strong opponents on paper as it stood second to last in the NJAC.
When the two teams clashed, the Lions found themselves in a contentious match when they first defeated NJCU 3-0. Junior pitcher Peter Nielsen and NJCU junior pitcher Ian Ambrose entered into a duel. While Ambrose gave up three runs by the top of the fifth inning, he blanked the Lions offense for the rest of the game.
On the other hand, Nielsen tossed a complete game and struck out nine batters. The Lions then dismissed NJCU in the second game, shutting it out 9-0. Not to be outdone by his teammate, junior pitcher Michael Walley also pitched a strong shutout.
After going undefeated this past week, the Lions remain on top of the NJAC with an overall 23-3 record. The team is set to compete in another home conference match against Rowan University on Thursday, April 18.
