Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEWARK, N.J. (April 10, 2016) – While winning the regular-season title in the New Jersey Athletic Conference the past two years, the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team went 14-4 each season in NJAC play.
 
This year, the Scarlet Raptors dropped their first four NJAC games before notching their first conference victory here Sunday with a 7-2 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader against Rutgers-Newark. The home team won the opener, 5-3.
 
The split leaves Rutgers-Camden with a 12-8 record overall and a 1-4 mark in the NJAC. Rutgers-Newark stands at 10-15 overall and 2-3 in the conference.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Monday with a 3:30 p.m. NJAC makeup game at Rowan University.
   
The Scarlet Raiders took a 3-0 lead after three innings before Rutgers-Camden cut the gap with a two-run sixth inning, highlighted by an RBI single from junior rightfielder Doug Carter Jr. (Union, NJ/Union) and a run-scoring error.
 
Newark bounced back with a run in the seventh to make it a 4-2 game before Carter added another RBI single in the eighth to cut the gap to 4-3. The Scarlet Raiders, however, matched that run in the bottom of the frame with a home run by sophomore designated hitter Ross Halkias (Kinnelon, NJ/County College of Morris) to account for the final margin.
 
Senior centerfielder Ryan MacFarlane (Freehold, NJ/Freehold) went 3-for-4 with one run and three RBIs to lead the Newark attack. Halkias added two of the Scarlet Raiders' 10 hits.
 
Carter went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Scarlet Raptors.
   
The Scarlet Raptors broke their season-opening four-game losing streak in NJAC play in the nightcap with a 14-hit attack, as Carter, junior leftfielder Joe Brooks (Blackwood, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), freshman shortstop Chris Jones (Sewell, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep), senior second baseman Brett Tenuto (Audubon, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and senior first baseman Joe Sigismondi (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) collected two hits apiece. Brooks had three RBIs, while Carter added two.
 
Trailing, 2-1, the Raptors took the lead for good with a two-run sixth inning, aided by a run-scoring wild pitch and an RBI fielder's choice by junior catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic).
 
A four-run Raptor eighth inning featured a two-run home run by Carter and a two-run double by Brooks.
 
That offensive explosion was more than enough for senior starter Ryan Sullivan (Livingston, NJ/Livingston), who raised his record to 2-0 by working seven innings of five-hit ball. He allowed three walks and two earned runs, while striking out six. Senior Kyle Gaff (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester City) closed out the game with two perfect innings, striking out two.