Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

UNION, N.J. (April 30, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Camden baseball team did what it had to do here Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader from New Jersey Athletic Conference regular-season champion Kean University.
 
Unfortunately for the Scarlet Raptors, it was too little, too late as they were eliminated from the six-team NJAC playoff picture. Rutgers-Camden finished with a 9-9 conference record, tied with William Paterson University for the sixth spot in the regular-season standings. Paterson, however, held the tie-breaker over Rutgers-Camden by virtue of a doubleheader sweep against the Raptors on April 2. While Rutgers-Camden took case of its own business Saturday by beating Kean by scores of 7-4 and 6-4, the Raptors needed last-place New Jersey City University to win a game against Paterson, a result they didn't get.
 
Rutgers-Camden improved to 23-14 overall. Kean will enter the NJAC playoffs as the top seed with a 24-14 overall record and a 13-5 mark in the NJAC.
 
Rutgers-Camden will play a 3 p.m. home doubleheader on May 12 against Salisbury University, when the Scarlet Raptors will celebrate Senior Day.
   
Senior Ryan Sullivan (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) kept the playoff hopes alive in the first game, throwing seven shutout innings before being relieved in Kean's four-run eighth inning. Rutgers-Camden used four pitchers in that frame before escaping with a 6-4 lead intact, as senior Kyle Gaff (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester City) went on to nail down his fifth save of the season. He increased his program career record to 16 saves with 1.2 perfect innings.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scored five runs in the fifth inning on five hits and two walks. The biggest hit was a two-run single by senior third baseman Billy Jackson (Estell Manor, NJ/Buena Regional). Senior first baseman Joe Sigismondi (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) and junior leftfielder Joe Brooks (Blackwood, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) also added RBI singles in the frame, while freshman designated hitter Chris Jones (Sewell, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) drew a bases-loaded walk to plate another run.
 
The Raptors tacked on single runs in the seventh inning, on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), and the ninth, on two hits and a run-scoring wild pitch.
 
Sigismondi and Brooks had two hits apiece to lead the Raptors' 10-hit attack. Sullivan (4-0) worked seven-plus innings, allowing seven hits, one walk and two earned runs. He struck out five.
   
Trailing, 4-2, the Scarlet Raptors kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a three-run sixth inning before Paterson closed out NJCU to clinch the last playoff spot. The frame started when junior rightfielder Doug Carter Jr. (Union, NJ/Union) was hit by a pitch and advanced on an errant pickoff attempt. Jones and Theckston sandwiched walks around an out and, after a force at the plate, the Raptors scored a run on a wild pitch. Junior shortstop Justin Geri (Vineland, NJ/Buena Regional) reloaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch and senior second baseman Brett Tenuto (Audubon, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) walked to force home a run. Another RBI walk to Sigismondi followed.
 
Brooks tacked on the final run with an RBI single in the eighth inning.
 
Senior Chris Scarlett (Galloway, NJ/Holy Spirit) and junior John Griffin (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) combined on the mound for the win. Scarlett (3-1) picked up the victory with five innings of eight-hit ball, walking four and allowing four runs, three earned. He struck out two. Griffin threw one-hit shutout ball over the final four innings, walking two, as he earned his first collegiate save.
 
Brooks and Jones had two hits apiece for the Scarlet Raptors.