Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (May 11, 2018) – Sitting on the fence for an at-large selection to the NCAA Division III regionals, the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team added a doubleheader to its schedule here Friday in an attempt to strengthen its case for a tournament bid.
 
Whether the Raptors strengthened their case or not remains to be seen as they split a non-conference doubleheader against St. Joseph's College-Long Island, the Skyline Conference champions. The Golden Eagles won the first game, 2-0, before the Scarlet Raptors bounced back to take the nightcap, 13-6.
 
St. Joseph, which already earned a NCAA berth by winning its conference, owns a 26-16 record. Rutgers-Camden stands at 27-16.
   
The Golden Eagles scored the only runs they needed in the second inning and a quartet of St. Joseph's pitchers held Rutgers-Camden to four singles in the shutout. In a pre-determined split, St. Joseph's College junior starter Anthony Papa (5-2) picked up the win, working three innings of two-hit ball, walking one and striking out three.
 
Raptor junior Ian Scheidemann (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) took the loss, hurling a six-inning complete game, allowing two earned runs. Scheidemann (7-2) struck out two and didn't walk a batter in his sixth complete game of the season.
 
Five of the six hits off Scheidemann came in the Golden Eagles' two-run second inning. With one out, sophomore third baseman Tyler Sanderson doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on an infield single by junior shortstop Anthony Raucci. Senior center fielder Matthew Burnett and senior first baseman Louis Fontinho both singled home a run and sophomore second baseman Vincent Biordi loaded the bases with another single before Scheidemann worked out of the jam with a force at home on a comebacker to the mound and a grounder to second.
 
Four Raptors went 1-for-3 apiece: freshman center fielder Billy Eisler (Pennsauken, NJ/Camden Catholic), sophomore catcher Tyler Travis (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional), senior right fielder Brandon Cornelius (Sicklerville, NJ/Timber Creek) and sophomore shortstop Nolan Gerold (Merchantville, NJ/Camden Catholic).
   
The Scarlet Raptors jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, watched the Golden Eagles rally to tie the game and then struck for eight runs in the sixth inning to break the game open.
 
Eisler, pictured above, junior second baseman Chris Jones (Washington Township, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) and sophomore left fielder Wayne Jackson (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) each collected two hits and three RBIs to power the Rutgers-Camden attack.
 
Jones led off the top of the sixth with a double and was retired on a fielder's choice, with Gerold reaching base. Jackson, who had a two-run double in the Raptors' five-run second inning, hit another double in the sixth to plate Gerold. One out later, sophomore third baseman John Guccione (Hazlet, NJ/Raritan) drew a walk. Eisler, who had a two-run triple in the Raptors' second inning, added an RBI single in the sixth. Travis and Cornelius followed with singles, with Cornelius plating two runs and Travis driving home one. After sophomore designated hitter Matt Yanick (Palmyra, NJ/Palmyra) drew a walk, Jones unloaded a three-run home run to left field.
 
The Raptors' big second inning featured four hits, including the two-run double by Jackson and two-run triple by Eisler, in addition to a run-scoring wild pitch.
 
St. Joseph's got one run back in the bottom of the frame and then tied the game with four runs on five hits in the fourth inning. The big blow was a two-run home run by senior left fielder Lou Doria.
 
Junior southpaw Steven Bloyed (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) picked up the win in relief of senior starter Carter Fichter (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial). Bloyed (4-3) worked the final 2-1/3 innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run, while walking one and striking out three. Fichter worked 4-2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and five earned runs. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.