Box Score

MADISON, N.J. (March 30, 2017) – The Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham baseball team exploded for seven runs in the first inning here Thursday and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 10-5, in a game called after eight innings due to darkness.
 
The Devils even their record at 5-5, while the Scarlet Raptors fall to 8-7.
 
FDU-Florham collected four straight hits to open the game against Raptor freshman Jaylen Paula (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep), including a leadoff triple by junior centerfielder Garrett Ruoff (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough). A walk and an error followed, the first of two Raptor errors in the inning and five in the game, resulting in six unearned runs.
 
Overall, the Devils notched seven of their total 12 hits in the first inning. One of them was a two-run single by junior first baseman Christopher Franco (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills).
 
Rutgers-Camden got a run back in the second inning on an RBI single by freshman shortstop Nolan Gerold (Merchantville, NJ/Camden Catholic). The Raptors cut their deficit to 7-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Gerold and an RBI single by senior catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), but the host team used one hit and three Rutgers-Camden errors to score two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. They added another run in the sixth when Ruoff doubled and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored its final two runs in the top of the eighth on a two-run double by sophomore second baseman Chris Jones (Sewell, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep). 
 
Senior shortstop Nick DeAngelis Jr. (East Hanover, NJ/Morris Catholic) collected four hits and Ruoff added three for the Devils, while Franco had two hits and three RBIs.
 
Theckston went 3-for-4 to lead the Scarlet Raptors' 12-hit attack. He also collected nine putouts to move into second place on the program's all-time list with 749. He passed Connor Hall, who had 743 putouts from 2012-15. The all-time putout leader is Matt Calloway (2003-06) with 1,126.
 
Jones, junior centerfielder Brett Kuchera (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood) and freshman third baseman Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton) all added two hits for the Scarlet Raptors.
 
Rutgers-Camden opens New Jersey Athletic Conference action on Saturday. The Scarlet Raptors play a doubleheader at William Paterson University, beginning at 11:30 a.m.