JERSEY CITY, N.J. (March 30, 2024) – The red-hot Rutgers University-Camden baseball team swept its season-opening New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader here Saturday, while adding program records and milestones for good measure.
 
The Scarlet Raptors defeated New Jersey City University, 5-4 and 7-3, as senior center fielder Auggie Uzdanovics collected his 100th career hit and senior second baseman Danny Vazquez became the program's career assist leader.
 
Vazquez, who collected seven assists on the day, hiked his total to 332, passing the program mark of 328 set by Brian Jakubowski (2004-06). Vazquez also took part in one two double plays, hiking his career total to 79. He is three shy of tying the career mark of 82 double plays, set by Chris Jones (2016-19).
 
The Scarlet Raptors raised their record to 15-5 with their eighth win in nine games and their 10th victory in the last 12 games. They are 2-0 in NJAC play.
 
NJCU fell to 5-10 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Tuesday with a 6 p.m. non-conference home game against Wilson College.
   
The Scarlet Raptors fell into a 1-0 first-inning hole before taking the lead for good with two runs in the fourth inning and three in the fifth. The fourth-inning rally was sparked by a leadoff triple from Vazquez, who scored the tying run when junior center fielder Steven Shaffer reached on an error. Shaffer advanced all the way to third base on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a single by senior third baseman Ryan Nutley.
 
In the fifth inning, Rutgers-Camden loaded the bases on three straight singles by senior right fielder Giacomo Antonicello, sophomore left fielder Jacob Watson and Vazquez. Antonicello scored on a throwing error by NJCU's pitcher when Shaffer reached on a fielder's choice. Senior designated player Jack Murphy plated Watson with a ground out and Vazquez scored on a balk.
 
NJCU cut the gap to 5-3 on a two-run sixth-inning single by left fielder Bryan Fernandez. The Gothic Knights made it a 5-4 game with a run in the eighth inning before sophomore Gavin Cunard nailed down the victory with his first save of the season. Cunard worked 2.1 innings, allowing one hit, three walks and one earned run, while striking out three.
 
Senior Ethan Carpenter raised his record to 4-0 with another strong outing, working 6.2 innings. He allowed eight hits and three earned runs without walking any batters. He struck out three.
 
Vazquez went 2-for-5 with two runs scored for the Scarlet Raptors.
   
Right fielder Shaffer went 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs as he fell only one home run shy of hitting for the cycle. The Scarlet Raptors got home runs from Murphy and junior first baseman Diego Salazar, who went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBIs. Murphy's two-run home run in the fifth inning, meanwhile, was his 17th career homer, lifting him within four of tying the program record set by another Murphy, Brian Murphy (2001-04).
 
Once again the Raptors overcame a first-inning one-run deficit, tying the game at 1-1 on a fourth-inning RBI single by Vazquez. They took the lead for good with a three-run fifth, including an RBI triple by Shaffer and Murphy's two-run home run.
 
In the sixth inning, Vazquez collected an RBI on a ground out and Shaffer added an RBI single, while Salazar capped the scoring with a solo home run in the seventh inning.
 
Junior southpaw Daniel Robeson (1-1) picked up his first win in 2024 despite his season-long brilliance on the mound. In 25.1 innings this season, Robeson has a miniscule 0.68 ERA. In Saturday's game, he worked seven innings of six-hit ball, allowing two walks and one unearned run. He struck out six.
 
Senior Joey Rappaport closed out the game, hurling two innings and allowing only one hit. He surrendered two runs, only one of them earned, didn't walk any batters and struck out two.
 
Uzdanovics singled in the sixth inning for his 99th hit and notched milestone hit 100 on a single to left field in the ninth inning. He also reached base twice as a hit batsman.
 
Uzdanovics became the second Scarlet Raptor to notch his 100th hit this week, as Murphy reached the milestone on Monday against Ursinus College. The 100-hit club will soon add another member, as Watson hiked his career total to 86 with a three-hit day.