Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 15, 2017) – It was another day and another battle with a perennially-strong Division III baseball program for the Rutgers University-Camden Scarlet Raptors.
 
Once again, on their trip to the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, the Raptors handed a highly-respected program a loss. They edged Eastern Connecticut State University, 6-5, here Wednesday, on a game-winning double in the bottom of the ninth by freshman third baseman Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton).
 
The victory evened Rutgers-Camden's record at 4-4, a mark that includes wins over in Florida over No. 17 Oswego State and a pair of teams receiving votes toward the national Division III polls – Washington University of St. Louis and Eastern Connecticut State University (Willimantic, Connecticut). The Warriors, four-time NCAA Division III national champions, entered Wednesday's game with a 3-0 record, receiving eight votes toward the D3baseball.com Top 25 poll and one vote toward the ABCA NCAA Div. III poll.
 
The victory didn't come easily, as the Raptors watched a 5-1 lead disappear in the top of the ninth when Eastern Connecticut scored four runs to tie the game. The Warriors' rally included three doubles and a game-tying single by sophomore shortstop Cory Baldwin (Cromwell, CT/Cromwell).
 
Just when it appeared that the Warriors had all the momentum, the Raptors grabbed it back, taking the victory with them. A leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth to senior leftfielder Doug Carter Jr. (Union, NJ/Union) and a wild pitch put the winning run at second base. After a strikeout, Stoots delivered his double to left-center, just beyond the dive of the Warriors' centerfielder, to plate the winning run.
 
Sophomore Steven Bloyed (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) picked up the victory with one inning of relief work, hiking his record to 2-1. He allowed one hit, one walk and one earned run, while striking out one. The Scarlet Raptors got an outstanding start from freshman Jaylen Paula (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) in his first collegiate appearance. Paula worked eight innings of six-hit ball against the hard-hitting Warriors, walking one, striking out two and allowing four earned runs, three of them in the ninth inning.
 
After Eastern took a 1-0 lead on a pair of hits and a wild pitch in the top of the second inning, the Scarlet Raptors bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the frame. A two-out walk and a stolen base by senior first baseman Frank Cerami IV (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) sparked the rally. He scored on a double by freshman shortstop Nolan Gerold (Merchantville, NJ/Camden Catholic). After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Gerold raced home on a wild pitch.
 
Rutgers-Camden added three runs in the fifth inning, sparked by a leadoff double from junior centerfielder Brett Kuchera (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood). Sophomore second baseman Chris Jones (Washington Township, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) ripped an RBI single, extending his season-opening hitting streak to all eight games, and advanced to second on an error in left field. Carter followed with a bunt single and senior leftfielder Brandon Cornelius (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) drilled an RBI single. After a fielder's choice, Cerami singled home Carter.
 
Carter, Cornelius, Stoots and Gerold had two hits apiece in the Raptors' 13-hit attack, which included doubles by Kuchera, Stoots, Gerold and freshman catcher Tyler Travis (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional).
 
Carter scored two of the Rutgers-Camden runs.
 
The schedule doesn't get any easier the rest of the way for the Raptors. On Thursday, they face Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut) Thursday at 3:30 p.m. before battling a pair of nationally-recognized programs on Friday: Wheaton (Massachusetts) College, which has received votes toward the D3baseball.com Top 25 poll this season, and Suffolk University (Boston, Massachusetts), which is ranked No. 24 in the D3baseball.com poll this week and received 48 votes toward the ABCA poll. All of those games will be in Auburndale, Florida.
 
The Raptors end their trip in Winter Haven, Florida, Saturday against Wisconsin-Whitewater, ranked No 6 and 7 nationally by the D3baseball.com and ABCA polls, respectively.