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Big East Baseball Action: Rutgers Splits with Villanova

Media Release, May 10

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) lifted the Rutgers baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Villanova with an RBI single to center field in the 12th inning of game one before the Wildcats evened the series with a 7-4 win in game two of Saturday's BIG EAST doubleheader in front of 563 fans at Bainton Field.

Rutgers and Villanova remain tied for eighth place in the BIG EAST standings with identical 10-13 marks in league play. The Scarlet Knights (22-26-1) and Wildcats (26-23) meet tomorrow to decide the series and likely decide a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament, as the top eight teams in the conference advance to the league tournament in Clearwater, Fla. May 20-24.

Down, 2-0, in game one, Rutgers cut Villanova's lead in half on one swing when freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) took Jordan Ellis' second offering over the right-field fence for his ninth home run of the season.

Freshman Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) drew a walk off a full count with one out in the sixth, stole second and scored one play later on a Vinnie Sangemino (Nutley, N.J.) single through the left side to tie it up. A single from Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) brought home pinch runner Brett Garlick (Livingston, N.J.) later in the inning to give the Scarlet Knights their first lead of the contest.

Villanova re-gained the advantage off newly-inserted Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) next inning, however, as Derek Shunk followed a two-out single from Ryan Arcadia with a two-run home run to left field to make it 4-3.

With the one-run advantage, the Wildcats went to their closer, Josh Eidell, in the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) greeted him with a leadoff single to left field and some alert base running by Jimenez moved the Scarlet Knight all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt. Lang lifted a ball to deep center field to get Jimenez home on the sacrifice fly to tie it up.

New reliever Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) worked a 1-2-3 ninth and Eidell retired the Scarlet Knights in order in the bottom half of the frame to force extra innings.

Beard gave up a one-out triple to Dan Terpak in the 10th and an intentional walk to the next batter set the stage for an attempted double steal. Beard turned around and fired to second baseman Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.), who alertly fired home to get the lead runner heading for the plate out. Beard then ended the threat with an inning-ending strikeout.

Beard and Eidell followed with a scoreless 11th frame and the RU reliever retired the Wildcats in order in the 12th to set up the extra-inning heroics from Gossard. Callahan led off the 12th with a bloop single to center field and was sacrificed into scoring position where Gossard followed an intentional walk of Matthews with a game-winning single to center field to bring home Callahan, igniting a celebration at home plate.

Beard picked up the win with four innings of scoreless, one-hit relief with five strikeouts, while Eidell was tagged with the loss after giving up the winning run in the 12th. He hurled 4.1 innings of relief. Junior Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) started the game for Rutgers and tossed 5.1 innings with two runs on five hits and three strikeouts in the no decision.

Rutgers game two starter Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) was forced to leave the game after just 20 pitches in his third start back from injury. Villanova jumped on top with a three-run first inning that included three-straight singles to open the game and was capped by a two-run triple from James Dolbier later in the frame. 

The Scarlet Knights threatened in the bottom half of the first when game one hero, Gossard, doubled down the right-field line and Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) attempted to score from first, but the sophomore was tagged out at the plate thanks to an excellent relay throw from the Villanova first baseman.

Freshman Dale Hering (Montgomery, N.J.) came out to start the second and bounced back from a run in the inning to hurl five-straight scoreless innings. Meanwhile, RU plated a pair of runs in the second and third to tie it up at 4-4.

Rutgers got runners on first and third in the second thanks to a Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) double and Langsingle. Lang attempted to steal second and the throw from Villanova catcher Wesley Borden went into center field, allowing Hernandez to come home on the play. With Lang now on third from the wild throw, Vinnie Sangemino (Nutley, N.J.) got him home with a chopper to the third baseman. In the third, a one-out single from Betteridge was followed by a pair of doubles from Matthews and Gossard to bring home the two runs in the frame and tie it up.

Hering ran into trouble in the seventh when an error put leadoff man Ryan Arcadia on and Shunk was hit. The freshman handed the ball over to Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) and the senior reliever got one out, but Arcadia and Shunk both moved into scoring position on a double steal and Dolbier came up with his second big hit of the game, doubling down the right-field line to bring home both runners and put the Wildcats back on top, 6-4.

Villanova added a run in the eighth en route to the 7-4 victory as starter Brian Streilein (5-4) bounced back from the second and third frames to earn the complete game win with three strikeouts and four runs (three earned) on 12 hits in the 126-pitch performance. Hering (1-1) took the loss with two earned runs (three total) on five hits and a strikeout in five innings in his first career league action.

Gossard and Lang each collected four hits, including a pair of doubles, in the doubleheader for the Scarlet Knights.

Sunday's game starts at 1:00 p.m. with a special Senior Day ceremony scheduled prior to the contest. Sunday will also serve as Youth Day at Bainton Field where children will receive a team photo for autographs and are invited to run the bases after the game.

Kean Claims 2008 NJAC Championship

Newark, N.J. (5/5/08) - Top seeded Kean University Cougars avenged two regular season losses and came out swinging, defeating second seeded Montclair State University, 12-4, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship game.

With the win, Kean (34-9) claims both the regular season and tournament title for the first time in program history.  This win also gives the Cougars the conference's automatic bid into the upcoming NCAA Division III Tournament.

After trading runs in the first inning, Kean went ahead for good, plating three runs in the bottom of the third.  Senior Eric Ammirata (Hamilton, N.J.) broke the 1-1 tie with a bases-loaded single to drive in two.  Ammirata would later come around and score on a Mike Moceri (Yardville, N.J.) single.

The Cougars added plenty of insurance recording eight runs over the next three frames.  Freshman designated hitter Gabe Ramirez (North Bergen, N.J.) punched out his second homerun of the tournament, a two-run shot, to highlight the offense.

On the hill, senior Andy Cupido (South Plainfield, N.J.) picked up the win after tossing seven solid innings.  Cupido (3-0) allowed three runs and nine hits while striking out five and walking three.  Junior Brandon Aich (Sayreville, N.J.) closed out the final two innings allowing an unearned run with five strikeouts.

Offensively, Ammirata was 1-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored while teammate Kevin O'Neill (Union, N.J.) was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.  For the Red Hawks (26-16), senior Mike Nunes (Hazlet, N.J.) had two hits in the loss.

Kean will await the tournament pairings when they are announced early next week.  The Mid-Atlantic Regional will be hosted by Kean University at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, N.J. beginning on Wednesday, May 14^th.

Rutgers Baseball Drops Series Finale at Cincinnati, 7-3

http://scarletknights.com

Scarlet Knights End Weekend Tied With Villanova For Eighth Place In the League, Host Wildcats Next Weekend

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Rutgers fell behind early on a first-inning grand slam from Cincinnati's Mike Spina and the Scarlet Knights couldn't claw their way back in a 7-3 loss to the Bearcats in the series finale Sunday afternoon in front of 738 fans at Marge Schott Stadium.

The Scarlet Knights, who are now 20-25-1 overall, end the weekend tied with Villanova for eighth place in the BIG EAST standings with an identical 9-12 league mark. Rutgers hosts the Wildcats in a three-game series next Friday through Sunday at Bainton Field. Cincinnati, with a mark of 29-18 overall, is alone in third place in the conference with a 14-7 league record.

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KEAN'S GIANAKAS & ROWAN'S KULIK NAMED NJAC BASEBALL PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE YEAR

KEAN'S IOVIERO NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR FOR SECOND STRAIGHT SEASON

NJAC Media Release

Kean University senior outfielder Derek Gianakas and Rowan University senior left-hander Ryan Kulik have been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Year respectively for the 2008 season.

A two-time first-team all-conference selection, Gianakas currently leads the NJAC in both slugging percentage (.746) and home runs (11). A two-time NJAC Player of the Week selection, he also ranks second in total bases (100) and third in runs scored (45). Against NJAC pitching, Gianakas hit .400 and posted league-best totals in slugging percentage (.917); runs scored (24); home runs (7); and total bases (55).

Kulik's selection as NJAC Pitcher of the Year marks the second time that he has garnered the league's top pitching honor, and the fifth time in six seasons that a Prof hurler has earned the selection. A two-time first-team all-conference selection, he currently leads the NJAC in opposing batting average (.173); innings pitched (73.0); strikeouts (112); wins (7); and games started (11). A four-time NJAC Player of the Week selection and the current NCAA Division III national leader in strikeouts, Kulik posted league-best conference-only marks in opposing batting average (.163) and strikeouts (55).

Kean junior right-hander Brandon Aich was named the league's Fireman of the Year as the conference's top relief pitcher. He currently ranks second in the NJAC in earned run average (1.72), opposing batting average (.174), and wins (6). Against NJAC competition, Aich posted a league-high five victories and ranked second in both earned run average (1.53), and opposing batting average (.167).

Rutgers-Newark freshman second baseman Matt Connors was named NJAC Rookie of the Year. A four-time NJAC Rookie of the Week selection, he hit .382 overall and currently ranks second in the league in hits (65) and third in the conference in runs scored (45). Connors finished the NJAC conference season ranked second in total hits (30).

One year after leading the Cougars to the NCAA Division III National Championship, Kean head coach Neil Ioviero was selected as NJAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season by his peers. Ioviero has led the Cougars to a 30-9 overall record, and their second consecutive NJAC regular season championship via a 14-4 conference mark. In 12 seasons at the helm of the Kean program, Ioviero has guided the Cougars to an overall record of 311-134.-2.      

             2008 NJAC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS

college baseball: Rutgers Rally earns win over Delaware 5-4

http://scarletknights.com

NEWARK, Del.  – Down 4-0, through three innings, the Rutgers baseball team rallied with five unanswered runs to earn a 5-4, come-from-behind victory over Delaware Tuesday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium for the Scarlet Knights' sixth victory in their last seven games.

Delaware's Josh Dean gave the Blue Hens their first hit with a single up the middle and Ryan Cuneo gave them their first runs with a two-run home run with two outs in the first. Chris Nehl then put Delaware up 3-0 with a leadoff home run over the left field wall in the second. Dean then reached on an infield error to leadoff the third and scored two plays later on a Ryan Reed bloop single to right field as the Blue Hens jumped out to the 4-0 early lead.

That was all Delaware (15-27) would score, as the Scarlet Knights (19-22-1) plated five unanswered runs to earn the come-from-behind victory.

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Rutgers Camden Closes Season with 9-27 record

Baseball 2008

Field conditions force cancellation
  of Rutgers-Camden's final game

CAMDEN (April 29, 2008) – Unplayable field conditions forced the cancellation of the final scheduled game for the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team today. The Scarlet Raptors were supposed to play at Gwynedd-Mercy College.
 
  The contest will not be rescheduled.
 
    Rutgers-Camden closes its season with a 9-27 record.

New Jersey Athletic Conference News Briefs

SOURCE http://www.njac.net/    STOCKTON'S JAMES NAMED HONORARY OFFICIAL FOR THE 2008 PENN RELAYS
G. Larry James, Dean of Athletic and Recreational Programs and Services at Richard Stockton College, has been named Honorary Official for the 2008 Penn Relays. James, a gold and silver medalist at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, was a standout at the Penn Relays, America's oldest and largest track and field event. He will be recognized during ceremonies taking place during the events at Franklin Field on April 26.....complete story
TCNJ'S MILLER CAPTURES HER 350TH CAREER SOFTBALL COACHING VICTORY
TCNJ head softball coach Sally Miller earned her 350th career victory when the Lions swept a NJAC doubleheader against NJCU on April 22. Now in her 13th season at the helm of the Lions' program, Miller has accumulated a career head coaching record of 350-157-2. In her first season as head coach at TCNJ in 1996, she guided the Lions to the NCAA Division III National Championship.
ROWAN'S RANERO CAPTURES HIS 300TH CAREER BASEBALL COACHING VICTORY
Rowan head baseball coach Juan Ranero recorded his 300th career victory when the Profs defeated Haverford, 9-4 on April 22. In 12 seasons, he has posted a 300-217-2 record. He is 191-114-1 in eight seasons at Rowan. Ranero is in his second stint as head coach at the University. He previously coached the Profs from 1994-1998 and returned in 2006.  Ranero has guided Rowan to four NJAC Tournament appearances and five trips to the NCAA Regionals.
MONTCLAIR STATE'S SCHOENIG CAPTURES HIS 600TH CAREER BASEBALL COACHING VICTORY
Montclair State head baseball coach Norm Schoenig earned his 600th career victory when MSU edged William Paterson, 8-7 on April 18. He is now 600-311-10 in his 21st season at the helm of the program and has won more games than any other coach in the history of MSU Athletics. Schoenig has fashioned a 264-91-1 mark in NJAC play which includes five conference titles. He has also taken his team to the NCAA Tournament 15 times, including seven regional championships and the 1993 and 2000 Division III crowns.

                                       NJAC News Archives  

Rutgers, Giannini Shut Down Seton Hall, 7-3

Media Release April 25, 2008

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Junior Matt Giannini (Millington, N.J.) pitched a complete-game and Rutgers got production throughout its lineup as the Scarlet Knights cruised to a 7-3 victory over Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Baseball series opener Friday evening at Owen T. Carroll Field.

The Scarlet Knights extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 17-21-1 overall and 7-9 in the conference, while the Pirates fell to 26-16 overall and 12-7 in the league with the loss.

Giannini scattered nine hits and struck out five in his second career complete game. He retired nine-straight at one point, spanning the fifth to the eighth innings en route to his third victory of the season.   

Eight of Rutgers' nine starters collected at least one hit in the Scarlet Knights' 13-hit attack.

The victory broke the tie in the all-time series as RU moves to 44-43-1 against the Pirates.

Rutgers and Seton Hall continue their series with a 6:00 p.m. game Saturday at Owen T. Carroll Field. Junior righty Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against junior lefty Corey Young for the Pirates. 

Rutgers: Jimenez Grand Slam Lifts Scarlet Knights over Wagner 7-3

Media Release, April 22

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Sophomore Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) hit a first-inning grand slam and the Rutgers baseball team never looked back en route to a 7-3 victory over Wagner Tuesday afternoon at Bainton Field.

Rutgers (15-21-1) got its first man aboard via a Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) leadoff walk in the first and Wagner starter Andy Wells found himself in a jam after giving up a single to Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.). With two outs and a full count to Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.), the Seahawk hurler was one pitch away from getting out of it, but Matthews drew the walk to load the bases and Jimenez cleared them two pitches later with a grand slam over the right-field fence.

Wagner (15-18) manufactured a run in the third when Damian Csakai drew a leadoff walk, stole second and was sacrificed over to third where he scored two plays later on a groundout to make it 3-1.

The Seahawks then capitalized on an error to push across a pair of runs in the fourth and pull within one run of the Scarlet Knights. Joe Conforti followed a one-out double from Seth Boyd with a walk to put runners on first and second against starter Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.). A pickoff attempt at first base resulted in a wild throw from the catcher, allowing Boyd to score and Conforti to move over to third, where he would score on a sacrifice fly later in the at-bat to make it 4-3.

In the sixth, Rutgers had Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) (walk) on third and Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) on first with one out and Callahan executed a safety squeeze, with a bunt down the first-base line. The first baseman scooped the ball up and went home on the play, but the throw was high, sailing over the catcher's head and to the backstop. Feliz scored and Cegles and Callahan each advanced a base to move to second and third, respectively, on the error. Both runners eventually scored on back-to-back singles from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) and Edwards as the Scarlet Knights built a 7-3 advantage.

RU threatened to add to their lead in both the seventh and eighth innings with a runner on third with two outs, but Wagner reliever David Rees got out of the jam with a groundout and a strikeout.

After recording his third-consecutive scoreless frame, Wargo handed the ball over to Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) in the eighth. The reliever hurled two scoreless innings, as the Scarlet Knights punctuated the victory with a game-ending double-play.

Wargo scattered three hits and surrendered just one earned run with six strikeouts in seven innings to pick up his first victory of the season. Wells took the loss for Wagner with seven runs on eight hits and four strikeouts in six innings.

Parents !Warning ATV's are Dangerous: 6-year-old killed riding miniature ATV

source www.nj.com

Monday April 21, 2008, 3:15 PM

A 6-year-old Franklin Township boy riding a miniature ATV was killed Saturday as he attempted to cross Skillmans Lane and was hit by a Jeep, police said today. The child was thrown off the small, black Honda ATV and then struck by a van, police said.

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Rutgers Baseball Rallies for 5-4 Victory Over USF in the 10th

Media Release, April 20

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The Rutgers baseball team rallied for four unanswered runs and capped its comeback witha run-scoring grounder from Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) in the 10th inning to earn a 5-4 victory over USF in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Bainton Field. 

The Scarlet Knights improved to 14-21-1 overall and 6-9 in the BIG EAST with the win, while the Bulls fell to 20-19 overall and 8-10 in the conference with the loss.

Down, 4-1, Rutgers began its comeback with a run in the fifth, when Betteridge doubled down the right-field line and Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) drove him home with a single through the right side. The Scarlet Knights pushed even closer in the sixth when Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) came to the plate with men on first and second and two outs and singled back up the middle to score one run. RU left the tying run stranded on third though as reliever Zach Pietrzyk got Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) to fly out to center field to end the inning.

The Scarlet Knights again came within in 90 feet of tying it up in the eighth when Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) and Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) opened the frame with a pair of singles and were both sacrificed over. After a big strikeout from Pietrzyk, USF went to its bullpen to bring in lefty Stephen Hunt for the lefty Callahan. The move paid off for the Bulls as Callahan flied out to left field.

Rutgers starter Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) had another strong outing in his second career start with a career-long eight innings of work, consisting of 140 pitches. He handed the ball over to sophomore Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) for the ninth where the Bulls threatened to add an insurance run. USF had a man on third and two outs but Lillis sent Brian Hobbs down on strikes to get out of the jam.

Betteridge continued the rally in the ninth with a single to the shortstop before moving over to second on a wild throw to first base. Edwards then sacrificed him over to third and Hunt followed a hit batsman with a wild pitch to allow Betteridge to score and tie it up.

After a scoreless 10th inning for the Bulls, the Scarlet Knights completed their comeback victory just in time. Due to USF's travel schedule, a previously-agreed upon time that a future inning was not allowed to start was less than 10 minutes away. RU made sure that situation did not occur though. Sophomore Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) hit a one-out single to right field and Cegles found a hole through the left side to move pinch runner Brandon Boykin (Teaneck, N.J.) into scoring position. A walk to Callahan loaded the bases and the Bulls yanked Hunt in favor of the righty Matt Stull against Betteridge. The sophomore hit a chopper to shortstop Addison Maruszak, who hesitated going home before trying to turn a double play. One out was recorded at second but the delay prevented a throw to first base. Boykin crossed home on the play, igniting a celebration at home plate for the triumphant Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers had fallen behind, 3-0, early on before using a Feliz triple and a Matthews hard-hit line drive single to center to score a run and make it 3-1 after two innings. The Scarlet Knights threatened for more early on with runners on second and third without recording an out in the third inning, but USF starter Derrick Stultz struck out the next three batters to get out of the jam.

Lillis (3-1) picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief, while Hunt (0-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing the winning run on base in the 10th. Downey struck out five and allowed four runs on nine hits in eight innings of work for the Scarlet Knights in the no-decision.

Betteridge and Cegles enjoyed a three-hit day to lead the Scarlet Knights' 15-hit attack in the contest.

Rutgers continues its home slate with a Tuesday game against Wagner at Bainton Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.

Two-run ninth inning lifts Ramapo past Rutgers-Camden

Baseball 2008

                              

CAMDEN (April 18, 2008) – Ramapo College senior right  fielder Jairo Jimenez (Bronx, NY/Dewitt  Clinton) ripped a solo home run to left field leading off the ninth inning, breaking a 4-4 tie and sparking the Roadrunners over Rutgers University-Camden, 6-4, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball game here Friday afternoon.

The shot by Jimenez lifted the Roadrunners to 14-16 overall and 3-9 in the NJAC. It also sent the Scarlet Raptors to their ninth straight loss. Rutgers-Camden fell to 7-22 overall and 1-11 in the conference.

  The home run was the first run allowed by Raptors  sophomore Michael Kondrath (Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy  Cross) during his long relief stint. Ramapo added an insurance run in the  ninth after junior third baseman Gino  Gallagher (Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar) collected a two-out infield  single and stole second. He scored on a single up the middle by freshman  shortstop Rob Dimperio (Jackson, NJ/Jackson).

The two teams traded leads all day, with Rutgers-Camden holding edges of 1-0 and 2-1 before Ramapo scored three runs in the fifth inning. That frame was sparked by RBI singles from junior left fielder Mike Manges (Glen Rock,  NJ/Paramus Catholic) and sophomore first baseman Peter Sita (Bayonne, NJ/Hudson Catholic). Sophomore  second baseman Mark Ruggiero (Fairfield, NJ/West Essex Regional) capped the rally with a  sacrifice fly.

Rutgers-Camden bounced back to tie the game with a two-run sixth inning, started by a double from sophomore left fielder Zach Colgate (Haddon Heights, NJ/Haddon  Heights). An infield error scored Colgate and a pair of singles by senior  shortstop Shawn Park (West   Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) and  sophomore third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran) produced the tying run.

Dimperio had three hits for the Roadrunners. Colgate went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs for the Raptors, who collected five hits in the game. Colgate had a double and a triple for his two hits.

  Raptor sophomore catcher Greg Hunt (Marlton,   NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) went  0-for-4 to snap his 11-game hitting streak, the longest on the team this  season.

Kondrath (0-2) took the loss, working four innings and allowing four hits, the two ninth-inning runs and one walk. He struck out one.

  Ramapo junior starter Dan Mulligan (Wilmington, DE/Concord) was the winning pitcher, working eight innings of five-hit ball. He allowed four runs (two earned) and four walks, while striking out three.

Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday with a 4 p.m. NJAC doubleheader as it hosts Kean University, the defending NCAA Division III national champions.                  

USF Escapes With 6-4 Victory Over Rutgers Baseball

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – The Rutgers baseball team mounted a two-out rally for the second-straight day but fell just short as USF escaped with a series-clinching, 6-4, victory Saturday afternoon in front of a season-high 673 fans at Bainton Field.

Rutgers cut USF's lead to a pair of runs and loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but could not produce another score as the Bulls (20-18, 8-9 BIG EAST) won their second-straight, tight game to take the series from the Scarlet Knights (13-21-1, 5-9 BIG EAST). 

USF's Trey Manz led off the third with a ground-rule double and came around to score the Bulls' first run later in the inning.

A one-out single back up the middle from Bulls' DH Stephen Hunt brought in two runs in the fourth to give USF a 3-0 lead.

Back-to-back doubles to the gap in left center field from Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) and Pat Biserta (Point Pleasant, N.J.) gave the Scarlet Knights' their first run of the game, trimming USF's lead to 3-1.

However, the Bulls used five hits in the fifth inning, including a pair of run-scoring doubles from Addison Maruszak and Joey Angelberger, to score three runs in the frame and build a 6-1 lead.

Rutgers capitalized on a USF error in the sixth to bring home two runs and make it 6-3. Freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) stepped to the plate with one out and Jimenez (single) on second, and Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) (walk) on third, and hit a ground ball to the shortstop. Matthews, who had beaten the throw to first as Edwards crossed home plate, raced to second when the throw bounced in front of the first baseman and came to a rest in foul territory, allowing Jimenez to come around and score on the play.

With the three-run lead, USF went to its closer, Shawn Sanford for the second-straight day and Rutgers mounted a comeback against the Bulls' hurler for the second-straight day. Sophomore Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) began the two-out rally with a single to center field and Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) followed with a double to the gap in right-center field. Senior Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) then hit a grounder up the middle and beat the throw to first for an infield single as Hernandez crossed home. Sanford then walked Betteridge on four pitches to load the bases for Edwards. The Bulls yanked Sanford in favor of lefty David Torcise against the lefty Edwards. Edwards worked the count to 3-1 before popping up to the shortstop, allowing the Bulls to escape with the victory.

USF's Randy Fontanez (3-3) got the win with four strikeouts and three runs (two earned) on six hits seven innings of work, while Rutgers' Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) (0-2) took the loss with six runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings. Senior Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) worked four scoreless innings of relief for RU.

Cegles' double extended his hitting streak to 10 games, while Biserta posted his third, three-hit game in the last five contests.

The Scarlet Knights and Bulls will conclude their series with Sunday's series finale. First pitch has been changed to 11:00 a.m. where Rutgers righty Jason Downey (Ballston Lake. N.Y.) will get the ball against USF righty Derrick Stultz.

Rutgers Rally Falls Short In 7-5 Loss to USF

                        

Scarlet Knights and Bulls Continue Series With 1:00 p.m. Game Saturday

                     

Media Release April 18

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Down, 6-1, entering the seventh, the Rutgers baseball team rallied with a four-run seventh frame but fell just short in a 7-5 loss to USF Friday in the series opener at Bainton Field.

The Scarlet Knights put the tying run in scoring position in the seventh and ninth frames but could not produce the equalizier.

USF plated its first run on a RBI single up the middle from Brian Hobbs with two outs in the first inning. Hobbs then gave the Bulls a 3-0 lead with an RBI double down the right field line in the third to score USF's second run of the frame.

Meanwhile, USF starter Daniel Thomas didn't surrender his first hit until the third when Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) slapped a single through the left side. Thomas induced a double play to the next batter and later finished his third scoreless inning.

NOTE  – Sunday's Rutgers baseball game against USF at Bainton Field, originally scheduled to begin at noon, has been changed to an 11:00 a.m. first pitch.

Junior righty Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against freshman righty Derrick Stultz for the Bulls.

 

Gossard Named to BIG EAST Baseball Honor Roll

                        

Senior Collected 10 RBI In Weekend Series Sweep of Georgetown

                     

Media Release 4/14

PISCATAWAY, N.J.  – Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) was named to the BIG EAST Baseball Honor Roll, the league office announced on Monday.
Gossard was a key contributor in Rutgers’ three-game sweep Georgetown over the weekend. The senior catcher drove in 10 runs with a .400 on-base percentage in three games against the Hoyas. He had at least one hit in all three games.

Gossard led a seven-run inning with a grand slam to put the Scarlet Knights ahead for good against the Hoyas in the series opener on Friday. He later drove in another run on a single. The cleanup hitter finished with seven RBI (a season high for a Scarlet Knight) and accounted for eight total runs in the contest.

In Saturday’s game, he collected one hit, walked once and scored an important run in the eighth inning as RU won 5-3.

In Sunday’s series finale, Gossard drove in three more runs with a 2-for-5 day. Down 1-0, he drove in a pair of runs with a single to left field to make it 2-1. Later in the game, he tied it up with another RBI single to left field. In the sixth inning, he made a nice defensive play when, with a man on second and one out, he followed a strikeout with a throw to second base to pick off the base runner and end the inning.

The senior also pinch hit and earned a walk in his lone appearance during the midweek against Delaware.

Gossard is the third Scarlet Knight to be recognized by the league this season. Freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 31, while sophomore Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) was named the league’s Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 25. 

Rutgers (12-19, 5-7 BIG EAST) opens a seven-game homestand on Tuesday with a 3:30 p.m. against Fordham at Bainton Field. 

Rutgers-Camden’s Fimiani earns NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week

Media Release                              

CAMDEN (April  14, 2008) – Rutgers University-Camden freshman Dan Fimiani (Pittsgrove, NJ/Schalick) was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie Pitcher of the Week today after a stellar outing against nationally-ranked The College of New Jersey on Thursday.
 
In his second collegiate start, Fimiani held the powerful Lions hitless for 6-1/3 innings before allowing an RBI single for his lone hit. He walked five and hit four batters, while striking out one. He allowed one earned run in his 6-1/3 innings and left with a 2-1 lead. He would have had his first collegiate win, but the Lions rallied for four runs in the ninth inning for a 5-2 victory.
 
  Fimiani’s no-hit bid is all the more impressive  considering TCNJ is ranked No. 4 in the d3baseball.com Top 25 poll and No. 7 in the ABCA national rankings.
 
A 6-foot-2 right-hander out of Schalick High School, Fimiani has worked in 10 games, making two starts, for the Scarlet Raptors this season. He has allowed 18 hits and 21 walks in 21-2/3 innings, while striking out 12. Most of that damage came in his first collegiate outing when he allowed three hits, two walks and five earned runs in 2/3 of an inning against Moravian College, Feb. 24. After his first two outings, Fimiani had a 67.50 ERA and he has lowered that mark to 4.98 since then.
 
Fimiani has been one of the hottest pitchers on the Raptors in the last week, working 9-2/3 innings over three appearances, while allowing only one hit and one earned run.
 
  Fimiani is the second Rutgers-Camden hurler to be  honored by the NJAC this season. Junior southpaw Damien Wright (Millville, NJ/Millville) was recognized as the NJAC Pitcher of the Week on March 3.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Wednesday with a 3:30 p.m. non-conference game at De Sales University. The Scarlet Raptors’ next home game is Friday, when it faces Ramapo College in a 3:30 p.m. NJAC contest.

William Paterson sweeps Rutgers-Camden, 12-5, 8-4

Baseball 2008

http://athletics.camden.rutgers.edu
                              

WAYNE (April 12, 2008) – The William Paterson University baseball team ripped 31 hits and extended its New Jersey Athletic Conference winning streak to six games as it swept Rutgers University-Camden, 12-5 and 8-4, here Saturday.

  The Pioneers improved to 19-9 overall and 9-2 in the  NJAC. The Scarlet Raptors fell to 7-20 and 1-10.  

Game One

                              In the first game, Paterson sophomore Scott Zirul (Cedar Grove,   NJ/Cedar Grove) scattered nine hits and allowed five runs (four earned) in a complete-game performance. He walked two and struck out three in raising his record to 5-0.

  Paterson pounded out 17  hits, including three apiece by sophomore second baseman Vincent Ganz (Waterbury,  CT/Holy Cross), senior shortstop Dan Limone (Teaneck,  NJ/Teaneck), senior  third baseman Anthony Perrone (Midland Park, NJ/Bergen Catholic) and sophomore left fielder Andrue Laguerre (Jersey City, NJ/St.  Benedict’s Prep). Perrone had a double, two triples, two runs and two RBIs,  while Ganz had two doubles, two runs and four RBIs.

Rutgers-Camden opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but the Pioneers responded with two scores in the first and a single run in the third for a 3-1 lead.  The Scarlet Raptors tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth, scoring twice thanks to a passed ball and a RBI-ground out by junior designated hitter Matt Gabrielski (Atco, NJ/St.  Joseph-Hammonton), but William Paterson took the lead for good with two runs in the fourth. The Pioneers added five runs in the fifth, highlighted by Ganz’s two-run double down the right-field line.

  Sophomore center  fielder Scott Fruits (Turnersville, NJ/Paul VI) and senior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St.  Joseph-Hammonton) were both 2-for-5 for the Scarlet Raptors. 

  Senior starter Andrew  Lihotz (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) suffered the loss,  allowing 12 hits and nine runs (five earned). Lihotz (2-4) walked two, hit one  and struck out three.        

Game Two

In the nightcap, Rutgers-Camden took a quick 1-0 lead on a firsts-inning bases-loaded walk to sophomore second baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran,   NJ/Delran). Paterson took the lead for good with a  four-run third inning, which included an RBI double from Ganz.

                              William Paterson  tacked on three more runs in the fourth, when sophomore right fielder  Mike  Guadango (Upper Saddle River, NJ/Northern Highlands) emptied the bases with a triple to right-center, giving the Pioneers a 7-1 advantage.  The Scarlet Raptors fought back to score twice during the seventh inning, and had the tying run at the plate with two outs, but Pioneer starter Steve Schlitzer (West New York, NJ/Memorial) was able to induce an  inning-ending fly out to maintain a 7-3 edge.

Schlitzer struck out seven and walked six in seven innings, giving up two hits and three runs for the victory (3-2).  Senior Steve  VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, NJ/Pequannock) pitched the final 2.0  innings, striking out four and allowing two hits and a run.

                              Rutgers-Camden freshman Eric Bosworth (Westford,  MA/Westford   Academy) took the  loss for Rutgers-Camden, throwing two innings and giving up seven hits and four  runs.

Ganz was 2-for-3 in the nightcap with a double. Guadango nearly hit for the cycle with a single, double and triple, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBI.

                              Rutgers-Camden will play a non-conference game at DeSales  Wednesday, beginning at 3:30 p.m.                                                                                                                              

Rutgers Baseball Downs Georgetown, 9-8, to Earn Series Sweep

Media Release April 13..............http://scarletknights.com

BETHESDA, Md. – The Rutgers baseball team broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth with five runs over the final four innings and held off a late rally from Georgetown as the Scarlet Knights completed the series sweep of the Hoyas with a 9-8 victory Sunday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field.

Rutgers improved to 12-19 overall and 5-7 in the BIG EAST with Sunday's victory, while Georgetown fell to 12-20 overall and 3-12 in league play with the loss.

Junior pitcher Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) made his first career start on Sunday and struck out the side in the first inning. He retired the first four hitters before giving up a pair of singles in the second and Georgetown plated its first run on a sacrifice fly.

Rutgers loaded the bases in the third on a pair of singles from Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) and Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) and a Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) walk, and Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) made the Hoyas' lead short-lived with a two-run single to left field.

Downey collected two more strikeouts in the bottom half of the third, but Georgetown's Matt Harrigan followed a Matt Iannetta single and a Sean Lamont walk with a three-run home run over the center field fence to put the Hoyas back up 4-2.

Rutgers tied it back up at 4-4 in the fifth when Edwards followed a one-out single by Lang with an RBI double off the wall in left-center field and Gossard drove Edwards home with a single through the left side. 

The Scarlet Knights later re-gained the advantage with a two-run sixth when Victor Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) stepped to the plate against newly-inserted Hoya hurler Cary Piligan with Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) (bunt single) on second and Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) (walk) on third. The senior delivered a line-drive single to right field to bring home both Feliz and Jimenez for the 6-4 lead.

Feliz then gave the Scarlet Knights some breathing room with a two-out RBI single to left field to score Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) (hit by pitch) in the seventh to make it 7-4.

Georgetown loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and RU called on reliever Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) to get the Scarlet Knights out of the jam. Lillis got his first batter, Lamont, to hit a grounder to third and an alert Edwards stepped on the base and fired over to first for the inning-ending double play as RU got out of the inning unscathed.

Edwards led off the ninth with a single to center field and scored two batters later on a Matthews single back up the middle to push the Scarlet Knights' lead to 8-4. Matthews stole second later in the inning to move into scoring position. A Feliz grounder in front of third base set up a potential double play for the Hoyas. The throw to second base got the first out, but the Hoya second baseman's throw to first was wild and Matthews raced around third and came home to give the Scarlet Knights a ninth run. 

The run proved crucial as Georgetown mounted a ninth-inning rally with four runs, aided by Harrigan's second three-run home run of the contest. Junior Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) came in for Lillis and struck out the only batter he faced for the final out of the game to earn his first save.

Downey struck out eight with four runs on five hits in five innings of work to improve to 3-0, while Alex Meyer (2-0) took the loss after giving up the pair of runs in the sixth.   

Eight of Rutgers' nine batters collected a hit in the Scarlet Knights' 14 hit attack. Gossard drove in three runs for RU to complete a 10 RBI weekend for the senior catcher. 

Rutgers swept Georgetown for the third straight year and extended its winning streak over the Hoyas to 10 with Sunday's victory. The Scarlet Knights are now 34-3 all-time against the Hoyas under the direction of head coach Fred Hill and are 31-1 since 1998. 

Rutgers returns home where it will begin a seven-game home stand with a Tuesday contest against Fordham at Bainton Field. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. 

Jimenez, Matthews Lead Rutgers Baseball to 5-3 Victory Over Georgetown

Media Release April 12

BETHESDA, Md.  – Sophomore Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) and freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) each collected three hits and accounted for four runs as the Rutgers baseball team earned a 5-3 victory over Georgetown Saturday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field to take the series from the Hoyas.

The Scarlet Knights improved to 11-19 overall and 4-7 in the BIG EAST with their second league series victory of the season. RU also took Friday's series opener over Georgetown (12-19, 3-11 BIG EAST), 22-10, to win the three-game set.

The game also marked the return of pitcher Steve Holt (Toms River, N.J.), who was on the mound for the first time in more than three weeks due to injury. He gave up just one hit and one run with a strikeout in a scheduled limited outing.

Georgetown had jumped out to an early lead when the Hoyas loaded the bases with one out in the first and Matt Harrigan was hit by Holt. The RU hurler induced an inning-ending double-play ball by the next batter to get out of the jam without allowing another score.

Gossard, Feliz Power Rutgers to 22-10 Victory Over Georgetown

media release April 11

BETHESDA, Md. – The Rutgers baseball team erupted for season highs in hits (19) and runs (22) as the Scarlet Knights defeated Georgetown, 22-10, in their BIG EAST series opener with the Hoyas Friday afternoon at Shirley Povich Field.

Senior Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) drove in seven runs, including a second-inning grand slam, to go with two runs scored in a 2-for-6 day. Junior Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) completed a 4-for-6 day with two home runs and two doubles to drive in six runs and score another four. The pair accounted for 16 of the Scarlet Knights' 22 runs on the day.

Rutgers improved to 10-19 overall and 3-7 in the BIG EAST with its most runs since a 27-0 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on March 24, 2004.

TCNJ’s ninth-inning rally stuns Rutgers-Camden, 5-2

                              

CAMDEN (April 10, 2008) – Nationally-ranked The College of New Jersey scored four runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to stun the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team, 5-2, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game Thursday afternoon at Campbell’s Field.
 
  TCNJ, ranked seventh nationally in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Division III Top 25  poll and fourth in the d3baseball.com poll,  improves to 20-3 overall and 7-1 in the NJAC. The Lions have won 12 of their  last 13 games.
 
  Rutgers-Camden falls to 7-17 overall and 1-7 in the  conference with its fourth straight loss.
 
For 8-2/3 innings, it appeared the Raptors would not only snap that losing streak, but shock one of the nation’s top programs in the process. Rutgers-Camden received no-hit pitching from freshman Dan Fimiani (Pittsgrove, NJ/Schalick) for  6-1/3 innings before senior right fielder Matt  Barrett (Pennington, NJ/Hopewell Valley) lined a RBI single to left field for the Lions’ first hit and run. Fimiani left the game with a 2-1 lead and the Raptors protected the edge until the last moment.
 
  With one out in the top of the ninth, freshman  pinch-hitter Matt Giermanski (Oradell,  NJ/River Dell Regional) drew a walk and freshman Elliot Stein (Middletown, DE/Middletown) went in as a pinch-runner.  After a strikeout sent the Lions down to their last out, senior center fielder Dave Mebs (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) hit  a slow roller to the left of the mound. Raptor senior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St.  Joseph-Hammonton) raced in for a do-or-die play, but his off-balance throw was bounced in the dirt as Mebs beat out an infield hit. Junior second baseman Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester) dropped a two-run single into right-center field and advanced to second as the Raptors’ relay to the plate sailed high for an error in an unsuccessful attempt to nail the go-ahead run. Junior shortstop Jeff  Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville) followed with a triple to right-center, then  scored on an infield error.
 
Prior to Mebs’ infield hit in the ninth inning, Fimiani (6-1/3 innings, one hit, one earned run, five walks, four hit batters and one strikeout) and three relievers shut down the Lions on just one hit. The Scarlet Raptors scored single runs in the fourth and fifth and nearly made that margin stand up.
 
In the fourth, Park drew a one-out walk, advanced on a ground out and scored on a two-out single to center by sophomore third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran). One  inning later, junior second baseman Dean  Straga (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) was hit by a pitch, stole  second and scored on an error.
 
  TCNJ’s first run came in the seventh when sophomore  left fielder Chris Esperon (Union,  NJ/Union Catholic) was hit by a pitch, advanced on a sacrifice and scored  on the Lions’ first hit, Barrett’s single.
 
  TCNJ’s second pitcher of the game, senior Brad Kittle (Millville, NJ/Millville) picked up the victory when the Lions rallied in the ninth. Kittle (1-0) worked three innings of one-hit shutout ball, striking out three. Junior Eric Gertie (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) collected his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning. He allowed one hit and survived an infield error to end the game on a fly out with the potential tying run at the plate.
 
  Sophomore Michael  Kondrath (Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy Cross) took the loss to drop to 0-1.
 
  Rutgers-Camden sophomore catcher Greg Hunt (Marlton, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) was the lone batter in  the game to collect multiple hits, going 2-for-4.
 
Both teams return to conference action Friday with 3:30 p.m. road games. TCNJ faces Ramapo College, while Rutgers-Camden battles Richard Stockton College.

Cichy hurls Rowan nine past Rutgers-Camden, 4-2

                              

CAMDEN (April 7, 2008) – Rowan University senior lefty Joe Cichy (Vineland, NJ/St. Augustine  Prep) took a shutout into the ninth inning and the Profs escaped a late Rutgers-Camden rally to beat the Scarlet Raptors, 4-2, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference makeup game Monday afternoon at Campbell’s Field.
 
  Rowan, which is ranked 16th in the latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Top 25 poll and  received votes toward the d3baseball.com national  poll, improves to 17-7 overall and 4-4 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to  7-16 and 1-6.
 
  In a tight pitchers’ duel between senior southpaws  Cichy and Rutgers-Camden’s Andrew Lihotz  (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast), the Profs finally broke a  scoreless deadlock with two runs in the fourth inning. Senior second baseman Joe Franceschini (Toms River, NJ/Toms River  East) drew a leadoff walk and scored on a two-out triple to left-center by  senior third baseman Paul Urbanovich  (Rutherford, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep). That hit broke a scoreless string of 13 straight innings for Lihotz, who hurled a shutout in his previous outing and hadn’t allowed a run since the eighth inning of a loss at The College of New Jersey March 27.
 
  Junior designated hitter Tom Reindel (Flemington,   NJ/Hunterdon Central) followed  with a RBI single to plate Urbanovich.
 
The Profs added another run in the sixth inning following a leadoff double by Urbanovich, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, one RBI and an outstanding defensive game at third base. Reindel followed with a deep fly ball to right field. Urbanovich tagged and came all the way around to score on an overthrow to third base.
 
The Profs added their final run in the top of the ninth following a leadoff single by Urbanovich. He advanced to third base on a stolen base and a throwing error, and then scored on a double by senior catcher Robert Fox (Ocean   Township, NJ/Ocean Township).
 
That 4-0 lead looked like more than enough for Cichy, who entered the ninth inning with a two-hit shutout and only two walks. After retiring the first batter on a ground out, however, Cichy walked three straight batters and was relieved by junior Kevin  O’Hara (Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic). Sophomore  third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran,  NJ/Delran) greeted O’Hara with a two-run single, snapping a string of 17-2/3 consecutive scoreless innings for the Raptors, who hadn’t scored since the eighth inning of a 17-inning loss to Rutgers-Newark Saturday.
 
  Junior Matt  Gabrielski (Atco, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) followed with a pinch-hit single to right field, loading the bases and placing the tying run at second base. O’Hara nailed down his third save of the season with a swinging strikeout and a 3-1 ground out to end the threat.
 
Cichy (2-2) allowed two hits, five walks and two earned runs in 8-1/3 innings, while striking out six. Lihotz (2-3) worked seven innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs and one walk. He struck out two.
 
Rowan collected seven hits in the game, with three by Urbanovich and two apiece by Reindel and Fox. Rutgers-Camden had four singles, including the two-run hit by Ballay and the pinch-hit single by Gabrielski.
 
  Rowan hosts Wesley   College Tuesday in a 3:30  p.m. non-conference game.
 
  Rutgers-Camden returns to action Thursday when it  entertains The College of New Jersey in a 3:30 p.m. NJAC contest.

Rally Falls Short as Delaware Defeats Rutgers Baseball, 5-3

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Down, 5-2, with one out in the ninth inning, Rutgers loaded the bases, but the Scarlet Knights’ rally fell short as the Blue Hens escaped with a 5-3 victory in baseball action Wednesday afternoon at Bainton Field.

Delaware (11-19) surged out to an early advantage with a four-run first inning off Rutgers starter Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.). The Blue Hens strung together four hits, capped by a two-run single from Chris Nehl down the left-field line to build their lead.

Wargo settled down after the first, however, giving up just three hits the rest of the day. He retired the final nine batters he faced in order, spanning the fifth through the seventh innings.

The Blue Hens manufactured a run in the third to push their lead to 5-0.

Meanwhile, Delaware starter Corey Crispell didn’t give up his first hit until two outs into the third inning when Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) singled through the left side.

The Scarlet Knights got some timely hitting in the fourth, however, as freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) came up with men on first and second and delivered a ball to the wall in right-center field for a two-run double to score Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) (walk) and Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) (hit by pitch) to cut the lead to 5-2. 

The Scarlet Knights threatened again in the sixth off newly-inserted David Slovak, putting runners on the corners with two outs, but Vinnie Sangemino (Nutley, N.J.) was caught in a run down trying to steal second base for the final out.

In the eighth, RU put runners on first and second with one out with Jimenez, the Scarlet Knights’ cleanup hitter, at the plate. Jimenez hit a hard grounder up the middle but Blue Hen second baseman Kyle Davis made a nice stop and started an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

Pinch hitter Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) started the RU rally in the ninth with a leadoff walk and moved to second on a Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) single through the left side. Pinch hitter Pat Biserta (Point Pleasant, N.J.) then drew a walk to load the bases as Delaware made the call to their bullpen to bring in reliever Joe Tebaldi. Cegles hit a hard grounder back up the middle to score a run but Davis made another nice stop to prevent further damage and get a crucial out at second base on the fielder’s choice. With two outs, runners on the corners and Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.), representing the winning run, at the plate, Tebaldi struck the Scarlet Knight out to end the rally and pick up the hard-fought save.

Crispell (1-3) got the win in five innings of work with just two hits allowed and two runs to go along with five strikeouts, while Wargo (1-2) took the loss in a career-long-tying seven-inning outing that included five runs on seven hits and four strikeouts. Tebaldi represented the fifth and final pitcher for the Blue Hens as the hurler picked up his first save of the season in 0.2 innings of work. 

Senior Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) and Ryan Beard (Point Pleasant, N.J.) combined for two scoreless innings of relief for RU in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. The Scarlet Knights’ four hits on the afternoon were the second-lowest of the season. 

Rutgers travels to Washington, D.C. this weekend for a three-game series at BIG EAST-foe Georgetown, beginning Friday at 3:00 p.m.

Rowan Tops Rutgers-Camden, 4-2

Left hander Joe Cichy

Box Score

CAMDEN, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team defeated Rutgers-Camden, 4-2 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game on Monday.

Rowan improves to 17-7 overall and 4-4 in the conference. Rutgers-Camden has a 7-16 record and a 1-6 NJAC mark. Left hander Joe Cichy (sr. Vineland, NJ/St. Augustine Prep) got the win on the mound for the Profs. Cichy (2-2) went 8.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out six batters. Right hander Kevin O’Hara (jr. Clayton, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) pitched the final 0.2 innings to earn his third save of the season. Scarlet Raptors’ lefty Andrew Lihotz (sr. Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) took the loss. Liholtz (2-3) gave up three runs in seven innings.

The Profs were led by third baseman Paul Urbanovich (sr. Rutherford, NJ/St. Peter’s Prep) with three hits (four at bats), three runs scored, one RBI, a double and a triple. Designated hitter Tom Reindel (jr. Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and catcher Robert Fox (sr. Ocean Twp., NJ/Ocean Twp.) each had two hits (four at bats) and one RBI. Second baseman Joe Franceschini (sr. Toms River, NJ/Toms River E.) scored one run.

For Rutgers-Camden, third baseman Kyle Ballay (so. Delran, NJ/Delran) recorded one hit (four at bats) and two RBIs. Shortstop Shawn Park (sr. West Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph’s (Hammonton)) and pinch runner Dennis Hill (fr. Pilesgrove, NJ/Woodstown) scored one run apiece.

Rowan went ahead 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Urbanovich drove in Franceschini with a triple to left center. Reindel followed with a single to right field that plated Urbanovich. The Profs added a run in the seventh. Urbanovich got on base with a double. He move to third on a deep fly to right field and scored on a throwing error. Rowan added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Fox doubled in Urbanovich, who reached base with a single. In the bottom half, Ballay hit a two run single to left center, bringing home Hill and Park.

Related: Rowan

Rutgers-Newark survives marathon to sweep Rutgers-Camden nine

CAMDEN (April 5, 2008) – Junior catcher Gerard Russomanno (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) doubled home the tie-breaking run in the top of the 17th inning of the nightcap to lift the Rutgers-Newark baseball team to a 13-4, 8-6 sweep over Rutgers-Camden in a New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball marathon Saturday afternoon and evening at Campbell's Field.

The second game lasted 4:48 and the 17 innings made it the longest game in Rutgers-Camden baseball history. The previous record of 12 innings was accomplished eight times, last on April 22, 2007 when the Raptors lost a 6-5 game at The College of New Jersey.
The sweep lifts Rutgers-Newark to 11-11 overall and 4-3 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to 7-15 and 1-5.

Game One

In the first game, the Scarlet Raiders ripped 16 hits and took advantage of eight walks and three hit batsmen to defeat the Scarlet Raptors. Newark scored four runs in the sixth inning to break open a tight 3-2 lead.

The Scarlet Raiders scored three runs in the game on bases-loaded walks and one on a hit batsman with the bases loaded. Seven of the Newark runners who scored were put aboard by either a walk or as a hit batsman.

Freshman second baseman Matt Connors (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights) paced Newark, going 4-for-5 with two runs, three RBIs and a stolen base from his leadoff spot. Junior right fielder Brian Gill (Manasquan, NJ/Wall), sophomore DH Anthony Yeswita (Hasbrouck Heights, NJ/Hasbrouck Heights), senior first baseman Dan Zika (Kenilworth, NJ/David Brearley), senior left fielder Doug Ford (Neptune, NJ/Neptune) and Russomanno each added two hits.

The first five batters in the Newark lineup – Connors, Gill, Yeswita, Zika and Ford, combined to go 12-for-26 with six runs and 10 RBIs.
Sophomore Dan Nodarse (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) worked seven innings, allowing nine hits, four earned runs and two walks. He struck out four while evening his record at 1-1.

For the Raptors, sophomore center fielder Scott Fruits (Turnersville, NJ/Paul VI), senior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) and sophomore catcher Paul Painter (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) each had two hits. Sophomore right fielder Steve Myers (Millville, NJ/Millville) collected three RBIs.

Game Two

The second game lasted five innings longer than the previous Rutgers-Camden record for innings, as the two teams matched scoreless innings from the ninth through the 16th inning. In the top of the 17th, a two-out walk to sophomore shortstop Michael Dennis (Lakewood, NJ/Lakewood) started the Raiders' winning rally. Russomanno, who caught all 26 innings on the day for Newark, ripped a double to right-center field to plate Dennis, and then scored on a single up the middle by freshman center fielder Matt Citro (Bloomsbury, NJ/Phillipsburg).

Trailing by as much as 4-1 early in the game, Rutgers-Camden fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth on an unearned run, setting the stage for a marathon which featured 120 at bats, 27 hits, nine walks, seven errors and six hit batsmen in a game that started at 3:13 p.m. and lasted until 8:01. Two players on each side collected eight at bats apiece, including Fruits and Myers for the Raptors, who broke the old Rutgers-Camden mark of seven at bats in a game held by five players.

Zika collected 19 putouts at first base for the Scarlet Raiders, while Rutgers-Camden sophomore third baseman Kyle Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran) notched eight assists, two shy of the single-game program record.