GALLOWAY, N.J. (April 23, 2021) – What a difference a day makes.
After rolling up 16 hits and 15 runs in a high-scoring 15-12 win at Stockton University on Thursday, the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team returned to Galloway Friday for another New Jersey Athletic Conference game. This time, the Ospreys scored 10 runs over the fifth and sixth innings, breaking open a 3-3 game, and went on to defeat the Scarlet Raptors, 15-4.
Stockton improves to 7-9 overall and 5-7 in the NJAC. Rutgers-Camden falls to 7-11 and 6-6.
Batting as the visiting team, the Ospreys scored three runs in the top of the second inning after a leadoff double by freshman catcher Sam Nieves. He moved up on a fly out and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by senior shortstop Ryan Swift. Senior third baseman Evan Geisler followed with a single and scored ahead of a home run by senior left fielder Nick Triflett.
The Scarlet Raptors scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning, sparked by a leadoff single from sophomore shortstop
Danny Vazquez. Junior designated hitter
Jesse Gerdes followed with a single and one out later, senior second baseman
R.J. Concepcion singled home Vazquez and chased Gerdes to third base. Senior first baseman
Matt Yanick added a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Scarlet Raptors tied the game at 3-3 with a run in the fourth inning. Senior right fielder
Rob Scanlan ripped a leadoff double and scored on a one-out single by senior catcher
Thomas Gosse.
That tie didn't last for long. Stockton countered with six runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batsman in the top of the fifth inning. The biggest shots of the inning were two-run doubles by senior designated hitter Jay Marchese and Swift.
The Ospreys tacked on four more runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a sacrifice fly from Marchese and a three-run double from senior second baseman Garrett DeMarrais. The bases-clearing double jumped Stockton's big lead to 13-3.
Stockton added two runs in the eighth on two singles, two walks and a sacrifice fly, giving the Ospreys 12 unanswered runs, before Rutgers-Camden broke that string with a run in the bottom of the frame. Junior left fielder
Garrett Warner doubled and scored on a single by Gosse.
Senior Phil DeMarco earned the win for Stockton, working the first seven innings and allowing 10 hits and three earned runs. He walked one and struck out one.
DeMarrais and Swift had three hits and three RBIs apiece in the Ospreys' 15-hit attack. Marchese and Triflett also added three RBIs. Rutgers-Camden had 13 hits, including two apiece by Gerdes, Concepcion, Yanick, Gosse and Vazquez.
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. doubleheader at Kean University.
