CAMDEN, N.J. (March 4, 2025) – Senior Chase Cooper pitched 5.2  strong innings, junior Ryan Rumsey earned his first save and senior shortstop Billy Richards hit his first career home run to power the Rutgers University-Camden baseball team to a 6-3 win over Penn State-Abington here Tuesday night.
 
Rutgers-Camden, which received two votes toward the D3baseball.com this week for its first votes since the 2019 pre-season poll, improves to 5-1.  
 
Penn State-Abington falls to 1-5.
 
After allowing a walk and a single to open the game, placing runners at first and third, Cooper worked out of the jam with a pop up, a soft liner and a swinging strikeout . That started a string of 16 consecutive outs for the Raptors' southpaw, who didn't allow Penn State-Abington any more runners until one out in the sixth inning, when the Nittany Lions bunched three hits, a passed ball, an error and a sacrifice fly for two runs.
 
Cooper (1-0) finished hit night working 5.2 innings and allowing four hits, two unearned runs and one walk. He struck out seven. He left the game with runners at second and third in the sixth before Rumsey worked out of the jam with a pop out. Rumsey went the rest of the way, working 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run. He struck out two and didn't walk anyone.
 
Rutgers-Camden took the lead for good in the bottom of the first inning after a leadoff walk to junior left fielder Jacob Watson. He stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the Abington catcher. After walks to senior center fielder Steven Shaffer and junior first baseman Frankie Romond loaded the bases, a double play ball scored one run and a passed ball plated another one.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added three unearned runs in the fourth inning off Abington sophomore starter Nate DeCristofaro (0-1), who worked five innings of three-hit ball, allowing four walks and striking out six. He allowed only one earned run of the five charged against him.
 
The Scarlet Raptors' fourth inning included two hits. two errors and a hit batsman. Senior designated hitter Diego Salazar opened the frame with an infield single, reaching second on a throwing error by DeCristofaro. Senior third baseman Ryan Nutley was hit by a pitch and one out later, Richards reached on a fielder's choice which failed to retire anyone due to a throwing error, plating a run. An RBI sacrifice by junior catcher Evan Carbone and an RBI double by sophomore second baseman Austin Dubler capped the inning.
 
The Scarlet Raptors added their final run in the sixth inning when Richards hit a two-out home run to right field.
 
Richards finished the night going 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI in the Raptors' six-hit attack.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to action on Thursday with a 3 p.m. game at York College of Pennsylvania.