Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (March 27, 2018) – Between snowouts and other weather postponements, neither the Rutgers University-Camden or the FDU-Florham baseball teams had played a game since the weekend of March 17-18, so it was no surprise that their non-conference contest here Tuesday was treated more like a tune-up for upcoming conference play.
 
Although both teams saw their regulars get plenty of at bats, they also used the game to get work for a number of pitchers. FDU-Florham used nine hurlers, while Rutgers-Camden sent four to the mound. The Scarlet Raptors also pounded out 20 hits as they defeated the Devils, 15-8, in a game that was a 4-4 tie into the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Rutgers-Camden, playing its first game since March 17, improved to 7-5. FDU-Florham, also coming off a long layoff since its last game March 18, fell to 5-8.
 
The Scarlet Raptors built a 4-0 lead over the three innings that senior Carter Fichter (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) worked on the mound. Fichter allowed only two hits and one walk during his start, while lowering his ERA to 2.62. His teammates supported him with three runs in the second on three hits, a walk, a passed ball and sacrifice flies by sophomore shortstop Nolan Gerold (Merchantville, NJ/Camden Catholic) and sophomore third baseman Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton). They added another run in the third on two hits – a double by sophomore left fielder John Tedeschi (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) and a RBI single by junior second baseman Chris Jones (Washington Township, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep).
 
FDU-Florham, however, whittled away at its deficit, scoring three times in the fourth inning on three hits – two of them flairs into no-man's land in left-center – a hit batsman and a wild pitch. The Devils tied the game in the top of the sixth on two hits and a RBI ground out by freshman shortstop Matt Nodoro (Morristown, NJ/Morristown).
 
Rutgers-Camden bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good, with the big hit being a two-out RBI single up the middle by Stoots to plate the go-ahead run. An infield error immediately after the Stoots single set the stage for a two-run double by sophomore catcher Tyler Travis (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional), which extended his season-opening hitting streak to 12 games. Sophomore first baseman R.J. Concepcion (Audubon, NJ/Audubon) capped the frame with a RBI single.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added three more runs in the seventh inning, aided by a two-run double from sophomore designated hitter Wayne Jackson (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township), and capped their outburst with a four-run eighth. Freshman center fielder Billy Eisler (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic) had a two-run double in that frame.
 
The Devils scored their final four runs in the top of the ninth, aided by four hits and an error on a potential game-ending double play ball.
 
Sophomore Daniel Beebe (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional), the third Raptor pitcher of the day, picked up his first collegiate victory to even his record at 1-1. He worked three innings, allowing three hits, one walk and one earned run, while striking out four.
 
Everyone in the Scarlet Raptors' starting lineup collected at least one hit. Travis, Jones, Jackson and senior right fielder Brandon Cornelius (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) had three hits apiece, while Eisler, Tedeschi and Stoots all had two hits. Eisler, pictured above, drove home three runs, while Travis, Jackson and Stoots plated two runs apiece. Cornelius and Jackson led the way by scoring three times apiece.
 
Senior first baseman Christopher Franco and junior center fielder Ian Havren collected three hits apiece to power the Devils' 12-hit attack.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Wednesday with a 4 p.m. game at Susquehanna University. The Scarlet Raptors open their New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule on Saturday, hosting William Paterson University in an 11:30 a.m. doubleheader.