NEWARK, NJ – Freshman leftfielder Jimmy Napolitano keyed a decisive third inning rally which lifted Rutgers-Newark to a 9-5 New Jersey Athletic Conference win over Richard Stockton in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Napolitano's first career home run, a two-run shot, tied the score 5-5 ahead of senior second baseman Matt Connors's game-winning single to left as the Scarlet Raiders (11-8, NJAC 3-0) climbed out of a 5-2 hole against the Ospreys (15-6, NJAC 1-2).

Napolitano also led off the sixth with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer while delivering an RBI ground ball to cap a two-run seventh inning.

Junior third baseman Tim Miller went four for five with an RBI single to cap a two-run first inning for the Raiders.

The Raiders used seven pitchers with freshman righthander Steven Wikoff (1-0) getting his first collegiate decision by coming on in the top of the fourth to blank the Ospreys over two innings after the visitors had piled up five runs on six hits and a Rutgers-Newark error. Wikoff yielded a pair of singles in the fifth but Miller turned an inning-ending double play to get him out of the jam.

Senior lefty Billy Cerruti and juniors Connor Medler and Nick Evans each came on to throw an inning of shutout ball before sophomore closer Matt Larangera struck out the first two of the four batters that he faced before coaxing a game-ending grounder.

Second baseman Jason Gordon went three for four to pace the 13-hit Stockton attack.  He had an RBI single in the second inning before capping a two-run outburst with an RBI single in the third.

Rutgers-Newark travels to Richard Stockton on Thursday for a 3:30 p.m. game under the NJAC's new home-and-away Thursday and Friday scheduling. Saturday, the Raiders host The College of New Jersey in an NJAC doubleheader in the stadium beginning at 11 a.m.