NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark stormed to a berth in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with a resounding 22-10 win over Ramapo College in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. 

Rutgers-Newark 22, Ramapo 10

Senior third baseman Joe Furnaguera drove in a career-high eight runs with a pair of home runs, a double and a sacrifice fly as the Scarlet Raiders (21-17, NJAC 10-6) scored multiple runs in all but two innings.

Junior shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer drove in four runs with an RBI triple in the second inning and a three-run homer in the four-run sixth. Junior leftfielder Michael Cassese hammered a three-run home run, his eighth of the year, to cap a five-run second inning.

The Raiders sprinted out to a 13-3 lead, posting five runs in the first and five in the second before Furnaguera's first home run of the game high over the leftfield wall added three more tallies. Furnaguera's eighth home run of the season was a three-run shot over the right centerfield wall in the fifth as Rutgers-Newark extended its lead to 16-3.

Both teams emptied their benches in the late innings.

Senior Tom Abair (5-3) was the no-sweat winner despite giving up six runs on 10 hits while striking out five and walking two in 5-1/3 innings.

Junior centerfielder Michael DiCenso went three for five, scored three times and drove in a run with a sixth-inning double. Junior second baseman Matt Connors collected two hits, scored twice and stole his 14th base of the season. Senior first baseman Matt Lingo and sophomore rightfielder Chris Ballester had two hits apiece with Ballester capping the first-inning rally with a two-run single.

The Raiders host Richard Stockton in the stadium on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the final NJAC doubleheader of the season while the Roadrunners (18-15, NJAC 7-9) try to play their way into the NJAC tournament with a twinbill at Rutgers-Camden which begins at 4 p.m.

It will be Senior Day for eight Scarlet Raiders.

Rutgers-Newark begins play in the NJAC Championship on Tuesday at a site and against an opponent yet to be determined.