Ewing, NJ –The College of New Jersey baseball team, ranked No. 17 in NCAA Division III, hosted fifth-seeded Montclair State University in the first round of the 2005 New Jersey Athletic Conference Playoffs today, and the second-seeded Lions picked up the 5-2 win at Ackerman Park to remain in the winner's bracket of the double elimination tournament. TCNJ is now 31-10, while MSU falls to 13-21 on the year.

 After a rocky start to the game, TCNJ's sophomore pitcher Brian Kraus settled down to collect the win and now stands at 3-0 on the year. Kraus gave up two walks and hit a batter in the first inning as the Red Hawks jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but would pick up the win after seven innings of work, allowing just two earned runs off four hits with seven strikeouts and five walks. Freshman Brad Kittle collected the save for the Lions after two innings of work with two strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

TCNJ answered right back in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single to left field by TCNJ's sophomore catcher Gerard Haran. Haran, who currently ranks fourth in Division III with his 1.67 RBI per game, added his 67 RBI of the year and continues to add to his TCNJ single-season RBI mark that he broke back on May 1, and went 2-4 with an RBI for the Lions today.

 TCNJ led, 3-1, after three innings before MSU pulled within one run, trailing 3-2 after freshman catcher MATT HARTWICK had an RBI single to left field to drive in freshman MICHAEL NUNES who led off the inning with a double to left field.   TCNJ would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as they took advantage of a pair of wild pitches by sophomore relief pitcher RAY ANDERSON plus a passed ball. Anderson came in the game in relief of freshman pitcher TIM STRINGER. Stringer (2-3) took the loss after 4.1 innings of work, allowing five earned runs off seven hits, while fanning eight TCNJ batters and walking just two. Lions junior centerfielder Charlie Iacono went 2-5 as well with a double and a stolen base, while MSU senior ETHAN BOYD was the only Red Hawk with more than one hit as he went 2-3.   

The 2005 NJAC playoffs continue on May 6 at Campbell Field in Camden , NJ with the league's top six teams playing in a double-elimination format. MSU will now play sixth-seeded Rutgers-Newark, an 8-0 loser to top-seeded Kean, on Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. in an elimination game in Camden. The NJAC Tournament winner receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Rowan is the league's defending champions.