Winter Haven, Fla. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball team fell 15-13 to The College of New Jersey Thursday afternoon at Chain of Lakes Park Stadium. The Eagles drop to 1-5 on the season while the Lions improve to 6-1. TCNJ is receiving votes in this week's D3baseball.com Top-25 Poll.

The Lions took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first Thursday, but the Eagles cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the inning as Zach Carney scored on Mitch Sutton's RBI single. TCNJ scored three times in the top of the fourth for a 6-1 lead, highlighted by Danny Borup's two-run double. UWL came back to cut the deficit to 6-5 with a run in the bottom of the fourth with Chase Scharnek coming in on a double play. The Eagles scored three runs in the fifth with Scharnek hitting an RBI double and Jake McClellan RBI single. McClellan later scored on a TCNJ error.  

The Lions recorded their third inning of three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 9-5 lead. The Eagles responded again in the bottom half of the inning with four runs to force 9-9 tie. Scharnek's two-run double cut the lead to 9-7 while Cal Tully's RBI single made it 9-8. Nate Heili's fielder's choice scored Scharnek with the tying run. 

TCNJ took a 10-9 lead in the top of the seventh as Avery Epstein scored on Matt Giacose's run-scoring double. The Lions added four runs in the eighth to make it 14-9 with Jacob Simon hitting a three-run home run.

Heili's single in the bottom of the eighth scored Tully to cut the lead to 14-10, but David Cardona III had an RBI single in the top of the ninth to give TCNJ a 15-10 lead.

UWL rallied in the bottom of the ninth. Shane Coker reached on an error to lead-off the inning followed by a Sutton walk. Brennan Schmitt's double scored Coker to make it 15-11. After a fly out, Scharnek's sacrifice fly knocked in Sutton to cut the lead to 15-12. Tully delivered a two-out run-scoring single to bring in Schmitt and make it a two-run game. The Eagles brought the tying run to the plate, but pinch-hitter Brady Stolzman struck out to end the game. 
 

UWL had a season-high 13 runs and 17 hits in the game. Tully finished 4-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored while Schmitt and Scharnek each had three hits and three runs. Scharnek had a team-high four RBI. Heili and Sutton each had two hits. Seven starters recorded a hit for the Eagles while eight starters scored a run. 

Caleb Willems (2-1) took the loss for UWL, pitching 3.2 innings, allowing nine hits and seven runs with one strikeout. Connor Cook started for the Eagles, going 3.1 innings, allowing nine hits, six runs and one walk while striking out four. Zach Pronschinske went 2.0 innings, allowing three hits and two runs with four strikeouts.

TCNJ finished with 21 hits as six players recorded at least two. Borup went 4-for-6 while Cardona III, Giacose, Thomas Persichetti and Aydon Chavis each had three hits. Simon finished with a team-high four RBI. 

Zac deRocco (1-1) earned the win for the Lions, pitching 2.2 innings, allowing six hits, two runs and one walk. 

UWL concludes its spring trip on Friday, March 22 facing Clarkson University (N.Y.) at 8:30 a.m. (Central) in Auburndale, Florida.