CENTER VALLEY, Penn. (April 16, 2019) – The Rutgers University-Camden baseball team overcame a 5-2 deficit and scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to break a tie game and defeat DeSales University, 7-5, here Tuesday night.
 
The win lifts the Raptors to 14-15, while the Bulldogs fall to 16-14.
 
The Scarlet Raptors opened their winning rally with a leadoff walk in the ninth to sophomore catcher R.J. Concepcion. Two outs later, senior first baseman Chris Jones singled to left center and advanced to second on a failed attempt to throw out Concepcion at third base. Junior shortstop Nolan Gerold was walked intentionally to load the bases and freshman second baseman Jared Weaver made the Bulldogs pay with a two-run single to left field.
 
The rally made a winner out of senior Vince Sturtevant, the fourth Raptor pitcher, who worked two innings of one-hit shutout ball. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four as he evened his record at 1-1.
 
Rutgers-Camden took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and fourth innings. Walked to junior designated hitter Matt Yanick and Jones, coupled with a sacrifice by Gerold, set the stage for the run in the second inning. It was plated on a ground out by junior left fielder Wayne Jackson. In the fourth inning, junior third baseman Matthew Stoots, playing in his 100th career game, hit a leadoff single. One out later, Jones singled and Stoots came around to score on an error in left field.
 
DeSales bounced right back with a five-run bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of three walks, a hit batsman, an error and two hits, including a three-run home run by catcher Sean Hanczaryk.
 
Rutgers-Camden immediately countered with two runs in the fifth to make it a 5-4 DeSales lead. A pair of walks and a bunt single by freshman center fielder Brett Yurgin loaded the bases. Concepcion walked to force in one run and Stoots delivered another with a sacrifice fly.
 
The Scarlet Raptors tied the game in the seventh after Yurgin drew a one-out walk and was erased on a fielder's choice by Concepcion. Concepcion stole second and advanced to third on a balk. After a walk to Stoots, Yanick delivered a single to center to tie the game at 5-5.
 
The Raptors finished with seven hits in the game off of four DeSales pitchers. Jones went 2-for-4, hiking his career hit mark to 205. He is three shy of tying the program's all-time hit leader, Brian Murphy, who collected 208 hits from 2001-2004.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action with a 3:30 p.m. New Jersey Athletic Conference game Thursday at Stockton University.