Box Score CAMDEN, N.J. (April 28, 2015) – If the top-seeded Rutgers University-Camden baseball team is going to make a run through the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs, the Scarlet Raptors are going to have to do things the hard way.
Sixth-seeded The College of New Jersey scored seven runs over the final four innings, breaking a 4-4 tie on a two-run home run by junior designated hitter
Garen Turner (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley) in the seventh inning, as the Lions defeated the Scarlet Raptors, 9-4, in the opening game of the
NJAC playoffs.
The loss drops the Scarlet Raptors into the losers' bracket when the double-elimination tournament resumes on Friday at Kean University. Rutgers-Camden (21-15 overall after winning the NJAC regular-season title with a 14-4 conference mark) will play fifth-seeded Montclair State University Friday at 10 a.m. in an elimination game that was moved up two hours from its original noon start. The College of New Jersey will face Rowan University Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Trailing, 4-2, the Lions tied the game in the sixth inning against Raptor senior starter
Jeff Singer (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross). Turner opened the frame with a single to center and advanced to second on an errant pickoff throw by the catcher. He scored on a single to center by senior third baseman
Michael Murray (Stewartsville, NJ/Phillipsburg). Murray moved up on a ground out and after freshman catcher
Steve Bucci (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) walked, junior center fielder
John Rizzi (Long Hill, NJ/Watchung Hills) tied the game with a single to right center.
TCNJ took the lead for good in the seventh against Raptor junior reliever
Ryan Sullivan (Livingston, NJ/Livingston). Senior shortstop
Anthony Cocuzza (Absecon, NJ/St. Augustine Prep), who went 4-for-5 with one run and three RBIs on the day, opened the frame with a single to center. One out later, Turner ripped his third home run of the season to right field.
The Lions tacked on three more runs in the eight, aided by an RBI single from Cocuzza, an error and a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman
Josh Limon (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley). The Lions' 11-hit, nine-run attack made a winner out of freshman pitcher
Joe Cirillo (Fairfield, NJ/DePaul Catholic), who raised his record to 6-1 by beating Rutgers-Camden for the second time this season. Cirillo allowed eight hits and four runs – two of them unearned – in six innings of work. He struck out four.
Senior
Ryan Carmon (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) blanked the Raptors on two hits over the final three innings to earn his first save. He walked one and struck out two.
The Lions' late-game explosion turned around a contest that started well for the Scarlet Raptors. Rutgers-Camden plated two runs in the bottom of the first off Cirillo, sparked by a one-out single from sophomore catcher
Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic). He scored on a double by sophomore left fielder
Joe Brooks (Blackwood, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), and senior center fielder
Bobby Romano (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) followed with a RBI single.
TCNJ tied the game with two runs in the third. After Bucci walked and junior left fielder
Mark Mari (Bayonne, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) singled, Cocuzza unloaded a two-run double to left center.
The Raptors bounced back to regain the lead with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth inning, aided by three errors. The lone hit in the frame was a RBI double by senior designated hitter
Adam Bartholomew (Haddon Heights, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep). Junior third baseman
Brett Tenuto (Audubon, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) added a sacrifice fly.
For the game, Rizzi, Mari and Turner had two hits apiece, joining with Cocuzza's four hits to account for 10 of the 11 TCNJ hits.
Rutgers-Camden received two hits apiece from Theckston, Brooks and Bartholomew.
