Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (April 7, 2017) – One day after being rained out of a New Jersey Athletic Conference game at The College of New Jersey, the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team hosted the nationally-ranked Lions here Friday in what was supposed to be the back end of a home-and-home rivalry. Through six innings, things were looking good for the home team, but the Lions scored six runs over the final three innings to rally for a 6-4 conference victory.
 
TCNJ, which is ranked No. 17 in this week's D3baseball.com Top 25 Poll and No. 19 in the latest ABCA Coaches' Poll, improves to 13-5 overall and a conference-leading 3-0. Rutgers-Camden falls to 10-9 overall and 1-2 in NJAC play.
 
In a battle of starting pitchers out of Cherry Hill High School West, Rutgers-Camden sophomore Ian Scheidemann and TCNJ junior Brandon Zachary matched scoreless innings until the bottom of the fifth, when a combination of hits, walks, wild pitches and errors helped the Scarlet Raptors plate four runs. Two of them were unearned.
 
That 4-0 lead held up into the seventh, when TCNJ jumped right back into the game with three runs, aided by five singles and an error. Trailing, 4-3, in the top of the eighth, Lions sophomore third baseman Ryan Fischer (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville) opened the frame with a single and scored the tying run moments later on a triple to right-center by junior shortstop Zachary Shindler (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh). Shindler scooted home with the eventual winning run on a sacrifice fly to right field by junior designated hitter Austin Lindsay (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt), and the Lions plated an insurance run in the ninth on a RBI double by freshman centerfielder Thomas Persichetti (Hamilton, NJ/Notre Dame).
 
Rutgers-Camden took the lead in the fifth sparked by a leadoff walk to senior rightfielder Zach Ellin (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) and a single by senior first baseman Frank Cerami IV (Lumberton, NJ/Rancocas Valley). They moved up a base on a walk and then advanced another base on a wild pitch, with Ellin scoring the game's first run. Cerami scored one out later on a roller down the third base line by sophomore centerfielder Peter Farlow (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), who reached on a throwing error. One out later, freshman third baseman Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton) singled Farlow, from where he scored on a wild pitch.
 
TCNJ's rally started off innocently enough when Shindler reached on an infield single that was almost turned into an out on a spectacular effort by sophomore second baseman Chris Jones (Washington Township, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep). He advanced to second on a ground out and was singled to third by senior catcher CJ Gearhart (Robbinsville, NJ/Robbinsville). Junior rightfielder Mike Follet (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) collected aa run-scoring single to right, chasing Gearhart to third. He scored on a fielder's choice by freshman leftfielder Jacob Simon (Hightstown, NJ/Hightstown), with Follet retired at second base. Sophomore first baseman Tommy McCarthy (Allentown, NJ/Allentown) followed with a single to right and advanced to second on an error that allowed Simon to score from first base.
 
Scheidemann (2-2) worked 7.2 innings, allowing nine hits and five runs (four earned), while striking out three. Sophomore Dylan Crowley (Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge), the second of three TCNJ pitchers, picked up the win for his first decision of the year. He worked one scoreless inning, walking one. Junior Matt Curry (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) nailed down his second save of the year with two scoreless innings, allowing only a hit batsman.
 
Rutgers-Camden managed only four hits off TCNJ pitching, but one of them was a fourth-inning single by senior leftfielder Doug Carter Jr. (Union, NJ/Union), a looper to left field for his 100th career hit. He became the 32nd player in program history to reach 100 hits.
 
Shindler, Gearhart and McCarthy had two hits apiece in TCNJ's 11-hit attack.
 
Rutgers-Camden jumps right back into NJAC competition tomorrow when it hosts sister school Rutgers-Newark in a doubleheader, beginning at 11:30 p.m. On Monday, the Scarlet Raptors will travel to TCNJ for the makeup game from Thursday's rainout.