Shenandoah Drops Regional Opener to TCNJ

Shenandoah Drops Regional Opener to TCNJ

WINCHESTER, Va. --- Fourth-seeded The College of New Jersey registered one of the first upsets of the 2023 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament with a 22-9 victory over No. 3/3 Shenandoah University Friday morning.
 
The Lions (24-22) opened up the Winchester Regional with runs in five of the first six innings to pull away from top-seeded Shenandoah (38-8).
 
IN DEPTH
With the Hornets holding a 4-1 lead thanks to four runs in the bottom of the second, TCNJ scored two runs in the third, five in the fourth, and seven in the fifth to blow open the contest. The NJAC champion Lions banged out 14 hits in those first five innings and hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam as part of the seven-run fifth.
 
Ryan Goodall had the victors first home run with a two-run shot in the second before Jack Felipe hit the grand slam in the fifth.
 
TCNJ added three more in the sixth along with a four-spot in the eighth to complete its output. The Lions ended the day with 20 hits with all nine starters recording at least two each.
 
Shenandoah had taken that 4-1 lead thanks to four runs on four hits in the second. Catcher Tyler Blittersdorf got the inning started with a double to left center, and following a Haden Madagan single, scored on Ryan Clawson's single through the left side.
 
Following a fly out, Kooper Anderson stepped up and clubbed his third home run of the season over the left field fence for a three-run home run. The dinger traveled 341 feet with a 99 mph exit velocity.
 
Leadoff hitter Mike LaGravenis led TCNJ with a 4 for 7 afternoon that included an RBI and four runs scored.
 
Pitcher Ben Amon (7-2) pitched the first 7.0 innings, allowing seven runs on 10 hits and three walks while striking out two.
 
Jacob Bell (8-1) took the loss for the Hornets. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits against three strikeouts in three innings. SU used six pitchers on the day.
 
Anderson paced the hosts with three hits in four at-bats with Clawson, Haden MadaganKyle Lisa, and Colby Martin getting two hits each.
 
UP NEXT
Shenandoah takes on the loser of the Christopher Newport vs Immaculata game in Saturday's opening game of the day. The loser of that contest will be eliminated from the regional.