Box Score  

NEWARK, N.Y. (May 17, 2014) – The fourth time wasn't a charm.

After splitting with Kean University during the regular season and eliminating the Cougars in the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs, Rutgers University-Camden watched the tables turn here Saturday at the NCAA Division III Newark, New York Baseball Regionals. This time it was the Cougars who held on to eliminate the Scarlet Raptors, 5-4, in a losers' bracket game.

Kean (33-13) ranked No. 18/19 in the two major Division III baseball polls, stays alive and will play Farmingdale State later tonight in another losers' bracket game.

Rutgers-Camden, ranked No. 29 in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Division III poll, closes its stellar season at 30-13-1. It is the first team in program history to reach the NCAA tournament and only the second Rutgers-Camden baseball team to win 30 games (the 2002 team went 32-10).

Down by 5-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Scarlet Raptors nearly pulled off another improbable comeback in a season full of exciting wins. Facing sophomore reliever Vinnny Zanfordino (Edison, NJ/Edison), the Raptors opened the frame with a single by freshman designated hitter Joe Brooks (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional). It was his 67th and final hit of the season, three shy of the program record set by Matt Hunt in 2010 and two back of Corey Hoffman's 2002 total.

Senior rightfielder Adrian Gonzalez (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken), who was named to the All-Regional Tournament Team, hit into a fielder's choice and then advanced on a wild pitch. He scored one out later on a single by junior leftfielder Brandon Porter (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown), cutting the gap to 5-4. After freshman Doug Carter (Union, NJ/Union) was inserted as a pinch-runner, freshman catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) was hit by a pitch, putting the winning runs on base and moving Carter's tying run into scoring position. Zanfordino finally finished off his fifth save of the season with a grounder to second base.

The game started on a better note for the Scarlet Raptors. Rutgers-Camden scored an unearned run in the second inning on singles by Porter and sophomore third baseman Brett Tenuto (Audubon, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), followed by a two-out infield error.

Kean bounced back in the fourth with a pair of runs on three hits, a hit batsman and a sacrifice fly. Sophomore centerfielder Matt Meleo (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) and sophomore designated hitter Sal Taormina (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) opened the frame with singles and were sacrificed to second and third. Junior third baseman Andy Lopez (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) was hit by a pitch to load the bases and sophomore shortstop Ryan Reitmeyer (Lacey Township, NJ/Lacey Township) delivered a game-tying single. Sophomore rightfielder Ryan Kelley (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) put the Cougars ahead with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Cougars added two more runs in the top of the sixth inning, chasing Rutgers-Camden senior starter Tommy Potts (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown Regional). Taormina singled and advanced on a passed ball before senior leftfielder Joe O'Connor (Wharton, NJ/Morris Hills) drew a walk. Following a sacrifice, Reitmeyer delivered a RBI single and Kelley added a sacrifice fly.

Rutgers-Camden cut its deficit to 4-2 with a run in the bottom of the sixth on singles by Theckston and freshman second baseman Matthew McElhatton (Haddon Heights, NJ/Camden Catholic) and a sacrifice fly by junior centerfielder Bobby Romano (Vineland, NJ/Vineland). The Cougars, however, immediately regained their three-run bulge on a hit batsman and a RBI double by Taormina in the seventh.

The Scarlet Raptors inched closer in the bottom of the seventh when Gonzalez and junior first baseman Connor Hall (Delran, NJDelran) hit back-to-back doubles with one out. It was the 15th double for both players, one shy of the single-season program record.

Hall, who had two hits and three total bases on the day, also hiked his season total to 102 bases, making him only the fifth player in program history to pass the century mark in one season. He also set a single-season program mark with 362 putouts.

Hall, Porter, Theckston and Tenuto each had two hits for the Scarlet Raptors.

Kean junior Charles Thielmann (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) worked the first eight innings, raising his record to 4-4 despite allowing 10 hits. He allowed two walks and three runs, two of them earned, while striking out five.

Potts took the loss to close his stellar senior season with a 7-2 record. He worked 5.2 innings, allowing six hits, one walk and four earned runs. He struck out two.

Potts finished his four-year career as only the fifth pitcher in program history to work over 200 innings. He worked 202 and also compiled 14 wins, the fourth-highest career total at Rutgers-Camden.

Sophomore Kyle Gaff (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester) worked the final 3.1 innings, allowing one hit and one earned run. He struck out one. 

2014 New York Regional
All-Tournament Team
 
Michael Dolce, P, Farmingdale State
Adrian Gonzalez, RF, Rutgers-Camden
Jason Yano, UTIL, Stevens
John Cook, P, Amherst
Conner Gunn, C, Amherst
Joe O'Connor, LF, Kean
Sal Taormina, 1B, Kean
Brandon McClain, P, Cortland
Tim Panetta, C, Cortland
Max Rosing, 1B, Cortland
P.J. Rinaldi, DH, Cortland (Most Outstanding Player)