JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 6, 2019) – The Rutgers University-Camden baseball team came tantalizingly close to sweeping its New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader here Saturday afternoon.
 
Yet after posting a 9-2 win over New Jersey City University in the opening game behind senior Ian Scheidemann, the Scarlet Raptors blew three late-inning leads in the nightcap – two of them in extra innings – as they dropped a 7-6 stunner in 13 innings.
 
The split leaves Rutgers-Camden at 10-11 overall and 3-2 in the NJAC, while NJCU is 11-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Monday with a NJAC makeup game against Rutgers-Newark. The contest, which was rained out on Friday, will be played at the Maplezone Sports Institute in Aston, Penn.
   
Scheidemann worked seven innings of seven-hit ball as he raised his record to 5-0. He walked two and allowed two runs, only one of them earned, while striking out seven. The victory was the 17th of his three-year Rutgers-Camden career, tying Gar Miller (1957-60) for second place on the program's all-time list. He is one victory shy of the leader, Matt Ulmer (2002-05).
 
NJCU scored the first run of the game on three hits in the bottom of the first inning, including a RBI single by freshman first baseman Ricky Voss. The Gothic Knights held the lead until the third, when Rutgers-Camden scored four times, sparked by a leadoff walk to junior second baseman John Guccione. Freshman center fielder Brett Yurgin was hit by a pitch and junior catcher Tyler Travis reached on an infield single which included a throwing error, allowing Guccione to score. Two outs later, junior designated hitter Matt Yanick, pictured above, unloaded a three-run home run down the left field line.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added two more runs in the fourth inning after Guccione reached on a two-out infield single. Yurgin followed with his fifth home run of the season, a shot to left field. All five home runs have come within a five-game span, including two against Rutgers-Newark Thursday.
 
The teams traded runs in the sixth, with the Raptors scoring on the first collegiate RBI by freshman shortstop Jared Weaver, who hit a single up the middle. The Gothic Knights countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame.
 
The Scarlet Raptors tacked on two runs in the ninth inning on two hits, aided by a RBI single from junior third baseman Matthew Stoots, and an error.
 
Yanick finished the game 2-for-5 with one run and three RBIs for the Scarlet Raptors, while Yurgin was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs and Weaver was 2-for-5 with one RBI. Guccione scored twice while going 1-for-4 with a walk.
 
Junior Keith Jacobs worked the final two innings on the mound for the Scarlet Raptors, allowing only one hit and one walk, while striking out two.
   
The Scarlet Raptors blew leads in the eighth, 10th and 11th innings as the Gothic Knights tied the game each time. Finally, in a game that lasted three hours and 44 minutes, NJCU scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 13th inning on two hits and an error. Senior center fielder Jesse Kraft singled home freshman catcher Anthony Palmisano, who had reached on an error.
 
That hit capped a frustrating game for the Scarlet Raptors, who were held to one hit into the seventh inning while NJCU built a 2-0 lead for senior ace Fernando Guerrero. That one hit was a second-inning double by Stoots.
 
In the seventh, however, singles by Yanick and Stoots, and an error, loaded the bases for the Raptors. Weaver walked to drive home one run and Guccione added a two-run single up the middle, giving the Scarlet Raptors a 3-2 lead. In the eighth, however, a walk, a stolen base and a two-out infield throwing error helped NJCU plate the tying run.
 
Moving to the 10th inning, Rutgers-Camden regained the lead with an unearned run, plated by a RBI single from Yanick. With two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the frame, a Raptor error kept NJCU alive and senior second baseman Matt Corsi singled home an unearned tally to tie the game at 4-4.
 
Rutgers-Camden surged right back into the lead in the 11th inning after one-out singles by Weaver and Guccione, and a Yurgin hit batsman loaded the bases. Travis drove home a run and reached on a fielder's choice before sophomore left fielder R.J. Concepcion delivered another run on a sacrifice fly.
 
Once again, the anticipated victory was snatched from Rutgers-Camden when the Knights tied the game on a single and a two-run home run by Palmisano in the bottom of the 11th.
 
NJCU senior Sean Gibney (1-1) earned the victory with 2-2/3 scoreless innings of one-hit ball. He struck out two and didn't walk a batter.
 
Raptor junior Joe Hahn (0-1) took the loss despite only allowing one unearned run in 1-2/3 innings. He surrendered two hits and one walk, while striking out two. Raptor senior starter Steven Bloyed hurled another fine outing, working eight innings and allowing seven hits, two walks and three runs, only one of them earned. He struck out six.
 
Stoots finished with a big game for the Scarlet Raptors, going 4-for-6 with one run scored while pushing his career total to 99 hits. His next hit will make him the 34th member of the Raptors' 100-hit club.
 
Yanick and Guccione both went 2-for-5, with Guccione adding two RBIs and Yanick notching one run and one RBI.