CAMDEN, N.J. (April 12, 2024) – In the end, the deficit proved just a little too much to overcome, although the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team made a valiant comeback bid in the ninth inning here Friday.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before Rowan University ended their rally and escaped with a 9-8 win in a New Jersey Athletic Conference game.
 
Rowan, ranked 18th nationally in the D3baseball.com Top 25 poll, improved to 15-8 overall and 3-5 in the NJAC with its second win over Rutgers-Camden in two days. The Scarlet Raptors fell to 18-9 overall and 5-3 in the conference with their third straight loss.
 
Rutgers-Camden trailed, 9-4, when it came to bat in the ninth inning, but sophomore left fielder Jacob Watson drew a leadoff walk and senior second baseman Danny Vazquez reached on an error. One out later, senior designated hitter Jack Murphy was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs, junior first baseman Diego Salazar delivered a two-run double and senior shortstop Billy Richards followed with a two-run single, slicing the deficit to one run. Rowan sophomore Charlie Russell relieved freshman Brayden Davis on the mound. After walking senior pinch-hitter Giacomo Antonicello, Russell ended the rally and the game with a ground out.
 
.Rowan scored three unearned runs off Raptor senior starter Ethan Carpenter in the second inning, but the Scarlet Raptors bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the frame on a walk, two hits, an error and an RBI ground out by senior center fielder Auggie Uzdanovics. Junior shortstop Jose Correa singled home the first run of the inning.
 
The Scarlet Raptors tied the game in the third with an unearned run off Rowan junior starter Zach Coluccio, who ended up working seven innings of six-hit ball to raise his record to 4-1. He allowed four runs – only one earned – while walking two and striking out four.
 
Rowan took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning, which included four hits. Senior second baseman Tyler Cannon had a one-out single and scored on a triple by junior center fielder Phil Sedalis. Senior first baseman Pat Defeciani followed with a two-run home run, his third round-tripper in two days against the Raptors.
 
Rutgers-Camden picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth, but Rowan tacked on a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to take a 9-4 lead. The sixth inning featured a two-run home run by junior left fielder Jason Morgan, his second homer against the Raptors in two days.
 
Carpenter (4-1) ended up suffering his first loss of the season, working four innings and allowing 11 hits and seven runs, four of them earned. He walked one and struck out two.
 
Cannon and junior catcher Karson Harcourt paced Rowan's 14-hit attack with three hits apiece. Senior designated hitter Dylan Maria and Morgan both had two hits.
 
Salazar went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs to pace the Raptors' eight-hit attack.
 
Rutgers-Camden returns to action Saturday when it hosts Rutgers-Newark in an 11:30 a.m. NJAC doubleheader.