WAYNE, N.J. (March 21, 2021) – The Rutgers University-Camden baseball team is still trying to find its stride in the 2021 season, but fortunately for the Scarlet Raptors, their early-season games against conference teams don't count in the New Jersey Athletic Conference standings.
With the NJAC schedule starting on April 3, the Raptors are using games against conference opponents as a tune-up, but Sunday's doubleheader at William Paterson University proved to be a tough day for the Scarlet Raptors.
The Pioneers ripped 13 hits in the opener and 10 in the nightcap as they swept Rutgers-Camden, 11-3 and 7-5. Paterson improves to 6-1, stretching its winning streak to five games. Rutgers-Camden falls to 0-3.
The Scarlet Raptors play another non-conference game at William Paterson University Friday at 3:30 p.m.
William Paterson 11, Rutgers-Camden 3
After Rutgers-Camden scored a run in the top of the first inning on a RBI single by junior right fielder
Brett Yurgin, William Paterson bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by senior first baseman Carson Weis.
The Pioneers added a pair of unearned runs in the second inning to make it a 4-1 game, but Rutgers-Camden cut the gap to 4-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. The inning featured a solo home run by sophomore third baseman
Jack Murphy – the first homer of the season for the Raptors – and a sacrifice fly by senior center fielder
Billy Eisler.
The Pioneers answered with two in the bottom of the fourth, added a four-run fifth inning and capped their scoring with one run in the eighth.
Senior shortstop Matt Ferrara went 3-for-4 for Paterson, while both Weis and junior designated hitter Steve Yelin added three RBIs apiece.
Yurgin and senior first baseman
Matt Yanick both went 2-for-4 with one RBI for the Scarlet Raptors.
William Paterson 7, Rutgers-Camden 5
The Pioneers took advantage of 10 hits, 14 walks and three errors to win the nightcap, with Yelin, Ferrara and junior right fielder Adrian Alarcon ripping two hits apiece. Alcaron and Weis both had two RBIs. A two-run single by Weis capped the Pioneers' three-run fourth inning to put Paterson ahead to stay, 5-4.
Yurgin went 2-for-5 with three RBIs to lead the Scarlet Raptors, capping a twinbill which saw him go 4-for-9 with four RBIs. Senior left fielder
Rob Scanlan and senior designated hitter
R.J. Concepcion both went 2-for-4, with the two hits by Concepcion lifting his career total to 99. He will become the 37th player in program history to reach the 100-hit milestone.
