JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 10, 2021) – The Rutgers University-Camden baseball team may have started the season 1-7, but the Scarlet Raptors are quickly making up for lost time.
Rutgers-Camden pounded out 26 hits, including 18 in a second-game romp, as it swept past New Jersey City University, 5-2 and 17-5, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader here Saturday.
The Scarlet Raptors, who were batting as the home team on the road in a season they are playing without a home park, have now won four straight games. They improve to 5-7 overall and 4-2 in the NJAC.
New Jersey City, which blanked the Raptors early in the season by a 7-0 score, has now lost 10 of its last 11. The Gothic Knights fall to 3-14 overall and 1-5 in the NJAC.
The Scarlet Raptors play another NJAC game Thursday at 3:30 in Glassboro against Rowan University.
Rutgers-Camden 5, New Jersey City 2
A three-run second inning proved all the Scarlet Raptors needed in the opener to support freshman hurler
Chase Cooper, who earned his first collegiate decision with the win. He worked six innings, allowing four hits, one walk and one unearned run, while striking out three. Sophomore
Dylan Wichrowski collected his first collegiate save with three innings of four-hit ball. He allowed one run and no walks, while striking out three.
The Raptors' second inning was sparked by a leadoff home run from senior left fielder
R.J. Concepcion. One out later, sophomore first baseman
R.J. McGettigan and freshman third baseman
Auggie Uzdanovics singled. They both advanced on a throwing error by the NJCU catcher on a strikeout and scored on a two-run single by sophomore second baseman
Danny Vazquez.
Concepcion added a RBI single in the third and senior designated hitter
Matt Yanick led off the sixth inning with a home run for the other Rutgers-Camden runs.
Concepcion and Uzdanovics both went 2-for-4 for the Scarlet Raptors' eight-hit attack.
Rutgers-Camden 17, New Jersey City 5
After warming up in the opener, the offense broke loose with 18 hits and 17 runs in the nightcap. An eight-hit, seven-run third inning put the game away early for the Raptors. The big frame was highlighted by a two-run single from senior left fielder
Rob Scanlan and a two-run single by Vazquez. Senior center fielder
Billy Eisler reached base twice in the frame with a single and as a hit batsman.
The Raptors added two runs in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Yanick. A three-run home run by junior right fielder
Brett Yurgin highlighted a five-run sixth inning and the Raptors ended their explosion in the seventh when Concepcion and Yanick hit back-to-back home runs.
Yanick's 4-for-8 day with five RBIs feature three home runs, giving him 14 for his career to tie for fourth place on the all-time list with
Adrian Gonzalez (2013-14). Both Yanick and Vazquez had five RBIs on the day.
Conception went a sizzling 7-for-9 with five runs and four RBIs in the twinbill, lifting his season average to .362. Yurgin added four RBIs in the nightcap.
