NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark senior Billy Cerruti shut down TCNJ in the opener and the Scarlet Raiders scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in the nightcap for a 3-1 and 8-7 sweep of the nationally-ranked Lions in New Jersey Athletic Conference play.

BOX SCORES & PLAY-BY-PLAY
Rutgers-Newark 3, TCNJ 1
Rutgers-Newark 8, TCNJ 7

IN GAME ONE, Cerruti (3-4) out-dueled TCNJ senior ace Connor Henderson (4-2) after giving up a run in the second inning. The lefty struck out eight and walked just one which yielding just four hits in eight full innings of work. He also picked off two runners to run his season total to nine and his career tally to 24. Henderson went the distance for the Lions, scattering eight hits while striking out six and walking one.

Sophomore closer Matt Larangera (2-0), who got the decision in game two, sent the Lions down in order in the ninth to register his fourth save of the season.

Junior designate hitter Mike Ciaramello had RBIs in the fourth and sixth innings while senior second baseman Matt Connors posted the game-winning hit in the fifth.

Lion sophomore centerfielder Michael Murphy doubled to lead off the second inning and scored on soft single down the leftfield line to produce the only TCNJ run.

Raider junior first baseman Chris Ballester hammered a double to leftfield to start off the fourth inning, moved to third on a fly ball off the bat of junior third baseman Tim Miller, and scored to knot the game on Ciaramello's ground ball to second.

Senior shortstop Patrick Reitemeyer singled to center with one out in the fifth, stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher on the attempt. The next batter, Connors slapped a single to centerfield to make it 2-1.

Senior rightfielder Michael Cassese singled with two out in the sixth and stole his second base of the game to set up Ciaramello's RBI single to centerfield to cap the scoring.

In an exceptionally well-pitched game, Ballester was the only player with two hits for either team.

IN GAME TWO, there was a wild finish to a see-saw battle.

Ballester, who was aboard following a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth, scored from first base when a double down the leftfield line by Miller bounced in front of a rolled up tarp which was against the leftfield wall. A TCNJ player hesitated to pick up the ball – hoping for an unplayable ball situation – but a teammate sprinted over, picked up the ball and threw towards third.

Cassese's three-run double to centerfield capped a five-run seventh-inning rally which gave Rutgers-Newark its first lead of the game at 7-6. Ballester had an RBI single and Reitemeyer belted his eighth double of the season during the outburst which chased TCNJ starter Michael Ham.

Ciaramello put Rutgers-Newark on the board with a two-run single in the fifth inning.

Junior righthander Connor Medler carried the Raiders through the first six inning, giving up five runs while scattering five hits, striking out one and walking four. Junior Nick Evans worked the seventh, giving up a run when the Lions scored after a pair of walks, a single and RBI ground ball off the bat of sophomore third baseman Nick Cifelli.

Larangera came on to start the eighth and was greeted with the tying run. TCNJ sophomore second baseman Scott Kelly drew a one-out walk and moved to second on an infield single by senior shortstop Jason Zegarski. The pair pulled a double steal with Kelly scoring when catcher Anthony Palladino missed on his throw to third.

Larangera got two quick outs in the ninth only to hit two batters in a row to get back into a jam before Reitemeyer tucked away a foul pop-up to kill the threat.

Rutgers-Newark finds itself alone in first place in the NJAC. It was the Raiders sixth win in their last seven games and it marked back-to-back seasons that Rutgers-Newark has swept TCNJ in an NJAC doubleheader.

Rutgers-Newark travels to Richard Stockton on Monday at 3:30 p.m. for another NJAC clash on Monday before hitting the road to Alvernia on Tuesday for a non-conference game.