Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. (April 10, 2018) – For 6-1/2 innings here Tuesday, a pair of red-hot baseball teams were locked in a tight game in a non-conference battle between Rutgers University-Camden and DeSales University.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, however, the Scarlet Raptors took advantage of a DeSales mistake that helped to spark a four-hit four-run inning. Rutgers-Camden went on to defeat DeSales, 6-2.
 
With their 11th victory in the last 12 games, the Scarlet Raptors raised their record to 15-6. The win came on the same day that they received seven votes toward the D3baseball.com national poll, their first votes toward a national poll since May 3, 2016.
 
The loss snapped DeSales' eight-game winning streak, dropping the Bulldogs to 15-10.
 
Locked in a 2-2 deadlock since DeSales plated a third-inning run to tie the game, Rutgers-Camden finally broke through against Bulldogs senior starter Jack Moore. Moore, who had pitched shutout ball since allowing a pair of first-inning runs, walked the Raptors' leadoff hitter, freshman center fielder Billy Eisler (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic), to open the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore catcher Tyler Travis (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) followed with a bunt down the first base line, attempting to sacrifice. The Bulldogs' first baseman attempted a swipe tag on Travis coming up the line instead of flipping to his second baseman covering the bag, but a nifty move by Travis avoided the tag, resulting in a bunt single. That play brought the end of the day for Moore, who was relieved by sophomore Ryan Passaro, but it was only the beginning of the Raptor rally.
 
Freshman first baseman R.J. Concepcion (Audubon, NJ/Audubon) sacrificed both runners along and the Bulldogs elected to intentionally walk senior right fielder Brandon Cornelius (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) to load the bases. Junior second baseman Chris Jones (Washington Township, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) spoiled the strategy with a two-run single up the middle. After a fielder's choice erased Jones, an error plated Cornelius with the third run of the inning. Singles by sophomore left fielder John Tedeschi (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial) and sophomore third baseman Matthew Stoots (Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton) led to the fourth run of the frame, with Stoots picking up the RBI.
 
That big inning was more than enough for Raptor junior Vincent Sturtevant (Audubon, NJ/Audubon), who picked up his first collegiate victory with an outstanding five-inning relief appearance. Sturtevant (1-0) faced the minimum of 15 batters over a hit-less, walk-less five-inning shutout stint. The only runner who reached base off of him came on an eighth-inning error and was promptly picked off. Sturtevant struck out six batters and now has allowed only two hits in his last three appearances, while throwing shutout ball over 9-2/3 innings. That stint not only included his first collegiate win against DeSales, but his first collegiate save at Rutgers-Newark on Saturday.
 
DeSales scored a run in the top of the first inning against Raptor sophomore Mike Calabrese (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional), making his first start in a Rutgers-Camden uniform. The Bulldogs scored with a walk, a stolen base, a throwing error and a RBI ground out by senior right fielder Conner Lafferty.
 
Rutgers-Camden bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the frame off Moore, collecting four straight singles from Travis, Concepcion, Cornelius and Jones following one out. Cornelius and Jones, pictured above, both drove home a run.
 
DeSales tied the game in the third on a single by junior center fielder Charlie Barebo, a stolen base and throwing error and another Lafferty RBI ground out. Calabrese finished his four-inning stint allowing two hits and three walks, while fanning three. He allowed two runs, only one of them earned.
 
Rutgers-Camden finished with 10 hits, including two apiece by Travis, Cornelius, Jones and Stoots. Jones collected three RBIs, while Travis scored twice.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Thursday in Glassboro to begin a big home-and-home New Jersey Athletic Conference series against Rowan University at 3:30 p.m. The Scarlet Raptors host the nationally-ranked Profs on Friday at 3:30 p.m.