Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 29, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Camden and New Jersey City University baseball teams spent a long day hammering hits all over the  Gothic Knights' field here Saturday. After 59 hits, 12 walks, four hit batsmen and seven errors, the teams ended up splitting their final New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader of the season.
 
Rutgers-Camden rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win the opener, 8-4, while NJAC overcame an 8-7 deficit in the nightcap to post a 13-9 victory.
 
The split leads Rutgers-Camden with a 14-22 record overall. The Raptors close their NJAC schedule with a 5-13 conference mark.
 
NJCU, which was knocked out of any chance for a NJAC playoff berth with its opening-game loss, stands at 17-18 overall and closes its conference schedule with a 6-12 mark.
 
Rutgers-Camden hit .388 as a team on the day, including a 5-for-9 doubleheader by freshman centerfielder Jon Tedeschi (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial), who collected three doubles, two RBIs and two runs. All three of his doubles came in the opening game as he tied a single-game program record shared by five other players. The last to do it was Tom Terrill against Alvernia on March 10, 2007.
 
Sophomore second baseman Chris Jones (Washington Township, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep), meanwhile, went 4-for-10 in the twinbill, collecting a double, three RBIs and one run scored. His two-run double in the fifth inning of the nightcap was his 100th collegiate hit and his team-leading 53rd this season.
 
Senior catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) was one of five Raptors with a three-hit day and he collected eight total chances to push his career tally to 1,003. He became only the second player in program history with more than 1,000 total chances, trailing only Matt Calloway, who had 1,199 from 2003-06.
 
Rutgers-Camden plays a road game Sunday at Misericordia University and closes its season Wednesday with a 3:30 p.m. home makeup game against York College of Pennsylvania.
   
In the opening game, junior Carter Fichter (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) allowed three runs in the opening inning and then limited NJCU to only one run the rest of the way as he raised his record to 3-2. Fichter scattered 11 hits, but didn't walk a batter, while striking out seven. He allowed four earned runs in pitching his first complete game of the season and his second consecutive nine-inning appearance. He hurled nine shutout innings in relief during a game against Montclair State on April 23.
 
Trailing, 3-0, the Raptors tied the game in the fourth inning, sparked by a leadoff home run from freshman first baseman Matt Yanick (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra). It was his team-leading third homer of the season. Tedeschi had a RBI double and senior rightfielder Zach Ellin (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) added a run-scoring single in the frame.
 
After NJCU regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, Rutgers-Camden tied the contest in the seventh. Tedeschi opened the frame with a double and scored on a Jones single. One inning later, Theckston doubled and scored the eventual winning run on an infield single by freshman third baseman Tyler Travis (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional).
 
The Scarlet Raptors put the game away with three runs in the ninth, highlighted by a two-run double from Yanick and a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Nolan Gerold (Merchantville, NJ/Camden Catholic).
Gerold, who had three hits on the day, also collected five more assists to raise his team-leading total to 110. He moved into a tie for seventh place on the single-season program list with Tyler Inkster (2005), one behind a three-way tie for fourth place and only two assists behind third place Joe Sigismondi, who had 112 in 2013.
 
Tedeschi led the Raptors' 17-hit attack with a 4-for-4 game, including his three doubles. Tedeschi added a walk, one run and one RBI.
 
Freshman designated hitter Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton), Jones, Yanick, Theckston and Travis all added two hits apiece. Yanick collected three RBIs.
   
The Gothic Knights collected 17 hits in the nightcap, with senior designated hitter/rightfielder Joe Coutinho (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) doing the most damage, going 3-for-3 with two runs and five RBIs. Coutinho ripped a two-run double in the first inning and a three-run home run in the fifth.
 
Gothic Knight junior first baseman Dan Berardi (Bridgewater, NJ/Middlesex) went 3-for-3 with four runs and three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the third inning.
 
Rutgers-Camden collected 14 hits in the nightcap, including a 3-for-4 game with two runs scored by junior third baseman Brett Kuchera (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood). Jones, Gerold and senior leftfielder Brandon Cornelius (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) each had two hits for the Raptors, including Jones' milestone 100th hit. He became the 33rd player in program history to reach 100 career hits and the second this year. Senior leftfielder Doug Carter Jr. (Union, NJ/Union) had his 100th hit on April 7.
 
Clinging to a 9-8 lead, NJCU put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the eighth on four hits, a walk and two errors.