Box Score

UNION, N.J. (May 3, 2015) – If the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team is going to advance to its second straight NCAA tournament berth, the Scarlet Raptors are going to have to do so with an at-large bid.
 
Second-seeded Kean University finished its undefeated run through the New Jersey Athletic Conference Baseball Championship here Sunday, defeating top-seeded Rutgers-Camden, 7-2.  With the victory, the Cougars (32-10) earned the automatic NJAC berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.
 
Rutgers-Camden, meanwhile, which climbed out of the losers' bracket with two wins on Saturday, needed a pair of victories on Sunday in order to take the NJAC crown. The Scarlet Raptors (24-16) couldn't force that second game opportunity, and now have to wait until next weekend when the NCAA announces the Division III baseball tournament field. In the meantime, the Raptors will play several contests, including a home game Monday at 7 p.m. against Stevens Institute of Technology.
 
Kean jumped on Rutgers-Camden senior southpaw Jeff Singer (Cinnaminson, NJ/Holy Cross) for two quick runs in the bottom of the first inning, following a leadoff single by junior center fielder Matt Meleo (Jackson, NJ/Jackson Memorial) and a one-out walk to junior right fielder Ryan Kelley (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee). Junior first baseman Sal Taormina (Brooklyn, NY/Xaverian) and freshman third baseman Matt Krupa (Mahwah, NJ/Mahwah) followed with back-to-back RBI singles.
 
The Scarlet Raptors got a run back in the third inning when sophomore catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) had an infield single and advanced to second when Cougar senior pitcher Charles Thielmann (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) threw the ball away. He moved up on a ground out and scored on a single by senior designated hitter Adam Bartholomew (Haddon Heights, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep).
 
Kean, however, countered with two runs in the bottom of the frame on a hit batsman, three hits and a run-scoring double play ball. Kelley had a RBI single in the inning. They added another run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by junior shortstop Chris Amato (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) and Meleo, then  tacked on a pair of runs in the fifth, aided by four hits and a sacrifice fly.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added their other run in the seventh inning when sophomore shortstop Pedro Perez (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) singled and eventually scored on a single by Theckston.
 
Thielmann (7-2) collected the win with a complete game, scattering 10 hits and three walks. He allowed two runs, one of them unearned, and struck out six.
 
Singer (4-3) worked 3.2 innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs. He walked one and struck out two.
 
Krupa led the Cougars with a 3-for-4 day, adding one run and one RBI Taormina and Meleo each had two hits
 
Theckston went 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI, while Perez was 3-for-4 with a run. Bartholomew went 2-for-4 for the Scarlet Raptors.