Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. – With rain, cold and wind all around him, Rutgers University-Camden junior southpaw Ron Reagan (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) remained a picture of calm and weathered the storm here Tuesday afternoon in the opening game of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Baseball Championship Tournament.
 As a result, the top-seeded Scarlet Raptors blanked sixth-seeded William Paterson University, 4-0, to open the double-elimination tournament.

Rutgers-Camden (28-9-1) will host #3 seed Montclair State University Thursday at 3:30 p.m. Montclair State lost to #4 seed Kean University, 5-0, in Tuesday's first-round action.

William Paterson (13-20-1), meanwhile, will play an elimination game at #5 seed The College of New Jersey on Thursday. TCNJ lost to second-seeded Rowan, 7-6, in its opening game.

The Profs will host Kean on Thursday.

Reagan and the Scarlet Raptors had to endure a 35-minute rain delay on Tuesday, clinging to a 1-0 lead at the time. In a quick game that lasted only 2:14 in playing time, Reagan and Paterson senior Anthony DeEsposito (Ridgefield, NJ/Ridgefield Memorial) were locked in that 1-0 duel when the teams were taken off the field and the tarp was pulled prior to the bottom of the sixth inning. At the time, the lone run of the game was scored in the fourth inning when Raptor freshman designated hitter Joe Brooks (Blackwood, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) drew a leadoff walk and scored on a one-out, opposite-field double down the left field line by junior first baseman Connor Hall (Delran, NJ/Delran).

Once the game resumed, the Scarlet Raptors quickly tacked on three runs against DeEsposito and junior reliever Tom Gaccione (Little Falls, NJ/Passaic Valley Regional). Senior rightfielder Adrian Gonzalez (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) opened the frame with a single and Hall drew a walk before the runners advanced on a sacrifice by freshman leftfielder Doug Carter (Union, NJ/Union).

With the Pioneer infield drawn in, freshman catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) hit a grounder to second base. The throw home was bounced in front of the plate for an error and Gonzalez, who had been retreating back to third, was easily able to score as Theckston reached on the fielder's choice.

Sophomore second baseman Matthew McElhatton (Haddon Heights, NJ/Camden Catholic) followed with a run-scoring fielder's choice. After a walk to junior centerfielder Bobby Romero (Vineland, NJ/Vineland), sophomore third baseman Brett Tenuto (Audubon, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) delivered a RBI single to right.

That was more than enough support for Reagan, who worked eight innings of three-hit shutout ball. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter while raising his record to 7-3.

Sophomore Kyle Gaff (Gloucester, NJ/Gloucester) finished up the shutout with one scoreless inning, walking one and striking out two.

DeEsposito (3-2) took the loss, working five innings and allowing three hits, four walks and two runs, one earned. He struck out three.