WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (March 15, 2025) – The Rutgers University-Camden baseball team posted its sixth straight win here Saturday as it opened its spring break at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
The Scarlet Raptors scored three times in the fourth inning to overcome a 3-2 deficit and went on to defeat the University of Mount Union (Alliance, Ohio), 9-7.
 
The Scarlet Raptors improved to 9-1, while the Raiders fell to 5-6.
 
Rutgers-Camden's fourth inning started with a one-out double by senior first baseman Diego Salazar. After a walk to senior third baseman Ryan Nutley, junior right fielder Isaiah Pinkney singled home the game-tying run. Senior shortstop Billy Richards broke the tie with a two-run double down the right field line.
 
Rutgers-Camden added an unearned run in the top of the fifth before Mount Union countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the frame and loaded the bases with two outs. Junior Dylan Oliver relieved senior starter Ethan Carpenter and stranded the bases full with a called strikeout. Oliver (1-0) went on to pitch 2.1 innings, allowing three hits and two runs to pick up his first collegiate victory.
 
Graduate student Jacob Shapley worked the final two innings, allowing one hit and one run, while striking out two. He picked up his second save of the young season.
 
Carpenter finished with 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits and three walks. He was charged with four runs, three of them earned, while striking out three.
 
After Mount Union cut the Raptors' lead to 7-6 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Rutgers-Camden scored a pair of insurance runs in the top of the eighth. Richards singled and  sophomore catcher Julian Gonzalez walked. One out later, senior center fielder Steven Shaffer walked to load the bases. Graduate student designated hitter Jack Murphy and Salazar followed with RBI walks.
 
Shaffer, Salazar and Richards collected two hits apiece, while Shaffer and Salazar both scored twice. Shaffer had a solo home run in the third inning. Murphy and Richards both collected two RBIs.
 
The Scarlet Raptors' spring break trip continues on Sunday in Auburndale, Florida. Rutgers-Camden faces UMass-Boston at 11 a.m. in a battle of teams receiving votes toward the most recent D3baseball.com Top 25 poll. The Scarlet Raptors received 37 votes, while the Beacons received nine.