Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (March 13, 2018) – The nationally-ranked Webster University baseball team pounded out 12 hits and overcame an early three-run deficit as it roared back to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 12-3, here Tuesday at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
Webster, ranked No. 27 in the latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Division III poll and receiving 30 votes toward the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25 this week, took the lead for good with a six-run fourth inning, aided by three hits, two errors, a hit batsman and a walk.
 
Webster improves to 7-2 with its sixth straight win, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 4-3. The Scarlet Raptors are 1-2 against nationally-ranked teams.
 
Trailing, 3-0, the Gorloks loaded the bases in the fourth inning on a hit batsman, an infield single and a walk before sophomore designated hitter Mark Melville singled home two runs and chased senior left fielder Ben Dinter to third base. Dinter scored the tying run moments later on a wild pitch, which moved Melville to second. He stole third and scored the go-ahead run on a single by sophomore catcher Joe Swanson. By the time the inning ended, Webster had plated two more runs, aided by a pair of errors and two sacrifices.
 
Webster added two runs in the sixth inning and capped its scoring with a four-run four-hit seventh which included a triple and a pair of doubles.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored all of its runs over the first two innings. With one out in the first inning, sophomore catcher Tyler Travis (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) drew a walk. He scored moments later when sophomore designated hitter John Tedeschi (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) launched his first collegiate home run to left field.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added another run in the second inning after sophomore third baseman Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton) was hit by a pitch to open the frame. One out later, sophomore shortstop Nolan Gerold (Merchantville, NJ/Camden Catholic) drew a walk and both runners advanced on an errant pickoff throw by Webster junior pitcher Adrian Santiago. Sophomore first baseman John DeSantis (Southampton, NJ/Seneca) plated Stoots with a fielder's choice.
 
Sophomore first baseman Kyler Kent finished the day 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI for the Gorloks, while junior right fielder Nate Tholl went 2-for-3 with two runs. Junior second baseman Danny Strohm went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
 
Rutgers-Camden collected only five hits off of a quartet of Webster pitchers. Travis went 2-for-3 with one run scored, while Tedeschi, pictured above, was 1-for-4 with one run and two RBIs.
 
Senior Austin Beccue (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Gorloks, working 4-1/3 innings of two-hit shutout ball. He didn't walk a batter and struck out three.
 
Raptor junior starter Drew Zytko (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) took the loss. Zytko (1-1) worked 3-1/3 innings, allowing four hits, one walk and six runs, four of them earned. He struck out two.
 
The Scarlet Raptors have an off day on Wednesday at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. They return to action Thursday with a 9:30 a.m. game against Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana).