CAMDEN, N.J. (April 13, 2024) – The Rutgers University-Camden baseball team pounded out 28 hits and scored 18 runs as it swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader from Rutgers University-Newark here Saturday.
 
The Scarlet Raptors won by scores of 7-2 and 11-2 to snap a three-game losing streak.
 
Rutgers-Camden improved to 20-9 overall and 7-3 in the NJAC, while Rutgers-Newark fell to 15-15 and 0-10.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Tuesday when they host a 6 p.m. Senior Night game against Alvernia University.
   
The Scarlet Raptors built a 4-0 lead over the first four innings and that was more than enough for senior starter Chase Cooper, who raised his record to 5-0 with seven innings of three-hit ball. He allowed one walk and one earned run, while striking out four.
 
Senior Joey Rappaport finished off the win with two innings of one-hit ball, walking one and allowing one unearned run. He struck out two.
 
Offensively, junior designated hitter Jose Correa led a 16-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with one run and three RBIs. He had an RBI single in the Raptors' two-run third inning, doubled home a run in the sixth and added an RBI single in the eighth inning.
 
Freshman catcher Julian Gonzalez also had a 4-for-5 game, while junior center fielder Steven Shaffer went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and one stolen base. Shaffer's first-inning sacrifice fly to put the Scarlet Raptors ahead for good.
 
Senior third baseman Ryan Nutley also had two hits, going 2-for-4 with one run scored.
   
For 4-1/2 innings, Raptor junior starter Ryan Rumsey and his Newark counterpart, freshman Matthew King, were locked in a scoreless pitching duel. That all changed in the bottom of the fifth inning when Rutgers-Camden exploded for seven runs on five hits, two errors and four walks.
 
Correa, who walked twice in the frame, opened the big inning with a walk. He was erased on a fielder's choice, with senior shortstop Billy Richards reaching base. One out later, sophomore catcher Evan Carbone singled him to third and the pair pulled off a double steal, with Richards swiping home. A walk to sophomore left fielder Jacob Watson set the stage for a single by senior second baseman Danny Vazquez, with Carbone scoring when the ball was misplayed in left field. Nutley singled home Watson and advanced on an error in center field, setting the stage for a two-run single by Shaffer. Shaffer stole second and scored on a single by junior first baseman Diego Salazar, knocking King out of the game. Walks to Correa, Richards and senior center fielder Auggie Uzdanovics followed, with Uzdanovics picking up an RBI.
 
The Raptors added a run in the seventh on an RBI single from Carbone and plated three runs on four hits in the eighth inning. The big blow was a three-run pinch-hit home run from senior Jack Murphy. The homer was the third of the season for Murphy and the 19th of his career, two shy of the program mark of 21.
 
For the game, Carbone went 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI. Nutley and Shaffer had two hits apiece. Murphy had three RBIs in his lone at bat, while Shaffer drove home two runs.
 
Rumsey (4-2) worked seven innings, allowing seven hits, one walk and one earned run. He struck out seven. Junior Josh Miller pitched the eighth inning, allowing one hit, two walks and one earned run, while striking out one. Sophomore Gavin Cunard closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and one walk. He struck out one.