Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark ran into a fired-up Rutgers-Camden team on Senior Night in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium as the Scarlet Raptors posted a 7-3 New Jersey Athletic Conference victory to buoy hopes for a league tournament berth.

Freshman shortstop Ryan Macfarlane notched two of the Scarlet Raiders' five hits against pitchers Chris Scarlett and Newark native Dashon Jones while Rutgers-Camden rode the power hitting of junior third baseman Adrian Gonzalez. 

Gonzalez hammered solo home runs over the left field wall in the first and eighth innings, lofted a sacrifice fly to center field during the four-run fourth inning and tacked on a single and a double.  He finished with three runs scored and three RBI while going four for four.

The Raiders chased Scarlett in the fifth when he lost control after taking a one-hit shutout into the inning.  Four walks, including one with the bases loaded and a single by Macfarlane helped produce two runs before the Raptors went to the bullpen for Jones.  The hard-throwing righty struck out senior first baseman Ryan Maloney with the bases loaded to escape the inning.  A fielder's choice off the bat of sophomore leftfielder Michael Murray and a walk by sophomore designated hitter Graham Commesso brought in the Raider runs. 

Macfarlane walked to open the ninth, went to second on a wild pitcher, advanced to third on a passed ball and score on a single through the left side by junior rightfielder Jimmy Napolitano.  But Jones got a fielder's choice grounder for the second out of the inning before making an acrobatic catch in foul territory on the third base side to end the contest.

Freshman third baseman Brian Kokos and Commesso notched the other Raider hits.

Senior Night was not kind to senior right-hander Kyle Van Vliet (2-5) who gave up 13 hits while striking out three and walking two during the first six innings before departing with the Raiders (8-20, NJAC 3-13) in a 6-2 hole.

Junior Jonathan Dominguez, freshman Billy Taylor and senior Michael Schneider allowed just one run on two hits over the final three frames, but Rutgers-Newark could not produce runs against the Raptor pitching duo.

The fourth inning proved the Raiders' undoing as the Raptors used a double, three singles and two sacrifice flies to take a 5-0 lead.

The Raptors (21-17, NJAC 7-9) now can take one of six NJAC Championship Tournament berths by sweeping Ramapo (24-9-1, NJAC 8-7-1) on Saturday in a league doubleheader in Mahwah.

Rutgers-Newark finishes its season with an NJAC twinbill at William Paterson (24-11, NJAC 11-5) tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.