CAMDEN, N.J. (April 5, 2024) – Senior pitcher Jordan Gray tossed a five-hit complete game to lead The College of New Jersey baseball team over Rutgers University-Camden, 4-2, in New Jersey Athletic Conference action here Friday.
 
The win lifted the Lions, ranked #21 in the D3baseball.com Top 25 poll, to 14-4 overall and 2-1 in the NJAC.
 
Rutgers-Camden dropped to 15-6 overall and 2-1 in NJAC play.
 
Gray and Rutgers-Camden junior starter Ryan Rumsey matched no-hit, shutout ball through the first three innings before the Lions loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning on a pair of singles and a walk. Rumsey wriggled out of the jam with two fielder's choice force outs at the plate and a grounder to shortstop.
 
In the fifth inning, however, TCNJ used three walks and RBI singles by junior shortstop Justin Marcario and junior third baseman Andrew Fernandez to plate two runs.
 
Rutgers-Camden bounced back with a run in the bottom of the fifth; sparked when senior third baseman Ryan Nutley was hit by a pitch to open the frame. With two outs, senior shortstop Billy Richards collected the Raptors' first hit of the game and senior right fielder Giacomo Antonicello followed with an RBI single.
 
The Lions added a pair of runs in the seventh inning off senior reliever Jacob Brennan, aided by an error on a dropped foul ball. That error followed a one-out walk and paved the way for a single by Fernandez. Senior designated hitter Ryan Goodall followed with a two-run double.
 
Rutgers-Camden scored its final run in the bottom of the ninth after Nutley had a one-out single and sophomore catcher Evan Carbone was hit by a pitch with two outs. Richards followed with his third hit of the game to drive home Nutley, but Gray finished off his complete game with a called third strike.
 
Gray (3-0) walked two and struck out eight in his five-hitter, allowing two earned runs. Rumsey (3-2) took the loss, working five innings and allowing four hits, five walks and two earned runs. He struck out one.
 
Fernandez went 4-for-5 with one run and one RBI for TCNJ, while Ricards was 3-for-4 with one RBI for Rutgers-Camden.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action Saturday, hosting Kean University in a 11:30 a.m. NJAC doubleheader, then travel to Ewing on Sunday to face TCNJ in a 1 p.m. makeup game.