AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Morris baseball team ran into a buzzsaw on Thursday in the form of The College of New Jersey. Coming off a win over No. 7 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Tuesday, the Lions ran their record to 6-0 with a 10-1 victory over the Cougars. UMN Morris goes to 4-7 overall on the season.

Following a scoreless first inning, TCNJ took the lead on a solo home run from Andrew Fernandez in the top of the second inning. The Lions would go on to score five runs in the frame on six hits. A chance for Minnesota Morris to answer back in the bottom of the second was denied when Trevor Haberman was tagged out at home following a Keegan Jonas single. 

The Lions tacked on single runs in the fourth and seventh innings to make it 7-0 before consecutive doubles in the eighth inning brought two runs home. The lead grew again on a sac fly in the top of the ninth. 

Down to their final turn at the plate, Minnesota Morris was able to plate one run when Ashton Pauly led off with a single and went to third on a passed ball and wild pitch. The bases would eventually be loaded and Ben Leal walked to force Pauly home.

Other than Jonas and Pauly, hits in the game for Minnesota Morris came from Ben Meuser and Fred Huebner. Ryan McGie (1-1) went 5.0 innings and struck out seven, while Dane Mammenga threw the final 4.0 innings.

As Minnesota Morris begins to wind down its trip to the Russ Matt Invitational, the Cougars will square off with Simpson College tomorrow in a doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. EDT) in Lakeland, Fla.