Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. – It took the fourth pitcher of the day and a stellar running catch by a second-baseman-turned-outfielder before the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team squeezed past Baruch College, 3-2, in a non-conference game here Tuesday.
 
The victory lifts the Scarlet Raptors to 15-9 overall, including 13-1 in their last 14 games.
 
The Bearcats fall to 10-16.
 
Rutgers-Camden took an early 3-0 lead before things started to get interesting in the last two innings. Baruch scored a run in the eighth on a pair of hits. In the ninth, the Bearcats plated a run and loaded the bases with two outs before junior Billy Jackson (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena) entered the game as the fourth Scarlet Raptor pitcher of the day, facing Baruch's cleanup hitter, junior Angel Tejeda (Dominican Republic/Comsewogoe, NY). Tejeda laced a shot to the left-center gap which Raptor sophomore Joe Brooks (Blackwood, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) ran down with a fine catch. Brooks, who started the year as the Raptors' second baseman, was only playing his 10th game in left field.
 
Jackson's first save made a winner out of Raptor junior starter Andrew Gottstein (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg), who worked seven-plus innings of four-hit ball, allowing one earned run. Gottstein (2-1) walked one and struck out three.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored all of its runs off Baruch sophomore starter Ryan Smith (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa), including a pair of unearned tallies in the third inning. An infield error allowed junior second baseman Matthew McElhatton (Haddon Heights, NJ/Camden Catholic) to reach base opening the inning. One out later, he scored on a triple by junior designated hitter Joe Sigismondi (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional). Sophomore shortstop Pedro Perez (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) followed with a sacrifice fly to center.
 
The Raptors scored again in the fourth when senior first baseman Connor Hall (Delran, NJ/Delran) doubled and advanced on an outfield error. He was driven home on an infield single by junior third baseman Brett Tenuto (Audubon, NJ/Gloucester Catholic).
 
Baruch got a leadoff double from junior second baseman Matthew Ballone (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon) in the eighth inning before junior reliever Alex Scarlett (Galloway, NJ/Holy Spirit) entered the game. He allowed a single to senior third baseman Eric Ulino (Long Island City, NY/Frank Sinatra) before Ballone scored on the next play on an infield error.
 
In the ninth, with two outs and Raptor junior closer Kyle Gaff (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester City) looking for his fifth save of the season, the Bearcats staged a rally with two singles – including an RBI hit by Ulino – a hit batsman and a walk, loading the bases. Jackson came in to earn his first save, with a saving catch by Brooks.
 
Sophomore catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) went 2-for-3, extending his hitting streak to nine games, while Hall went 2-for-4 for the Raptors. Ulino had two hits for the Bearcats.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Thursday when it hosts The College of New Jersey in a 3:30 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference game. The Scarlet Raptors lead the NJAC with a 9-1 record.