UNION, N.J. (April 20, 2019) – Playing a nomadic life this season without its own home stadium, the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team was forced to play the role of a home team on enemy grounds here Saturday. Its home-away-from-home doubleheader was moved from Camden County College late in the week, due to weather concerns, to the turf field of its opponents, Kean University.
 
Although the Scarlet Raptors still batted as if they were the home team, that was the only home cooking they received as "visiting" Kean swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader on its own field by scores of 4-0 and 8-0.
 
The highlight for the Raptors came in the fourth inning of the nightcap when senior first baseman Chris Jones singled for his 208th career hit, tying the Rutgers-Camden program record set by Brian Murphy (2001-04).
 
The Cougars improve to 25-11 overall and 11-3 in the conference. Rutgers-Camden falls to 15-17 overall and 6-7 in the NJAC.
 
Rutgers-Camden plays a non-conference makeup game Monday at 3:30 p.m. at Immaculata University.
   
In a stellar pitching matchup between Kean junior Tyler Hopman and Raptor senior Ian Scheidemann, the Cougars limited Rutgers-Camden to six hits, two walks and one hit batsman in the shutout. Hopman went the distance, striking out four, to even his record at 4-4.
 
Scheidemann allowed only two runs – just one earned – in eight innings, walking none and surrendering 11 hits. He struck out two as his record fell to 5-2. The Cougars scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth off junior Keith Jacobs.
 
Kean broke a scoreless duel with a pair of runs in the fifth. Junior right fielder Derek Walker singled up the middle and advanced to third on a sacrifice and a single by senior catcher Brian Cole. He scored on a squeeze by sophomore shortstop Connor DeForge. Senior second baseman John Carello followed with a single and Cole scored on a throwing error.
 
The Cougars tacked on two runs in the ninth on a walk to junior first baseman Nick Polizzano, a RBI triple by sophomore designated hitter Zachary Marzano and a run-scoring single by Walker.
 
Carello and Cole had three hits apiece for the Cougars. Raptor freshman center fielder Brett Yurgin went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
   
Kean scored three runs in the top of the second inning on three hits, and that was more than enough support for senior southpaw Christopher Rossi, who shut down the Scarlet Raptors for seven innings and combined with Marzano on the eight-hit shutout.
 
In the Cougar second, Polizzano walked, Marzano singled and Polizzano stole third to set up the frame. Walker singled home one run and a pair of sacrifices brought home a second run. Walker scored the final run on a wild pitch.
 
A two-out triple by DeForge and an error plated an unearned run in the fifth for Kean and the Cougars scored three more times in the sixth and one in the seventh.
 
Raptor senior Steven Bloyed took the loss, working 5-1/3 innings and allowing six hits, one walk and seven runs (six earned). Bloyed (2-3) struck out six.
 
Junior shortstop Nolan Gerold went 2-for-4 for the Scarlet Raptors. Yurgin went 1-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 11 games (22-for-53, .415) and Jones collected his historic hit with a single through the left side of the infield in the fourth inning.