Box Score

CAMDEN, N.J. – The Rutgers-Newark baseball team, fighting for a spot in the six-team New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs, watched Rutgers-Camden rally from a two-run deficit with a three-run sixth inning and the Scarlet Raptors went on to edge the Scarlet Raiders, 5-3, here Friday.

Rutgers-Newark falls to 13-22 overall and 6-10 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raiders are locked in a three-way tie for sixth place heading into an 11:30 a.m. season-ending doubleheader against William Paterson Saturday in Piscataway.

Rutgers-Camden improves to 24-9-1 overall and 12-4 in the NJAC. Heading into the last day of the regular season, the Scarlet Raptors are tied for the conference lead with Rowan.

The Scarlet Raiders took the early lead with an unearned run in the first inning after sophomore shortstop Ryan MacFarlane hit a leadoff single and advanced on an outfield error. He went to third on a line single by senior first baseman Vin Troisi, which slammed off the first base bag and stayed in the infield. MacFarlane scored on a double play.

Rutgers-Camden tied the game in the fourth following a leadoff double by sophomore second baseman Joe Sigismondi and a bunt single by freshman designated hitter Joe Brooks. Sigismondi scored on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman Connor Hall.

Rutgers-Newark immediately bounced back with two runs in the fifth, sparked when sophomore second baseman Gerry Patrizio reached on a one-out error. MacFarlane singled through the left side of the infield and Troisi flared a ball into shallow left field, but Patrizio was forced out at third base on a throw from Raptor leftfielder Doug Carter. Newark scored on back-to-back RBI singles by sophomore rightfielder Cameron Dias and senior centerfielder Jimmy Napolitano.

The Scarlet Raiders rode the right arm of junior Andrew Nasti into the bottom of the sixth inning, clinging to a 3-1 lead. Rutgers-Camden, however, started a one-out rally on back-to-back singles by Brooks and senior rightfielder Adrian Gonzalez. With two outs, Carter hit a long fly to the warning track in left-center field, which kept pushing away from the Newark outfielders in the wind. It dropped for a two-run, game-tying triple. Moments later, freshman catcher Jon Theckston singled through the left side of the infield to give the Scarlet Raptors a 4-3 lead.

Rutgers-Camden tacked on a run in the eighth on a single and stolen base by Brooks, who was plated on a single by Hall.

Right-hander Tommy Potts picked up the win to raise his record to 7-0. He scattered nine hits over seven innings, while striking out five. He didn't walk a batter and allowed three runs, two of them earned.

Sophomore Kyle Gaff relieved Potts after the first two Scarlet Raiders reached on singles in the eighth inning. Gaff worked out of the jam and went on to hurl two perfect innings, striking out one. He earned his team-leading fourth save.

Nasti (3-6) took the loss, allowing 13 hits and five earned runs in an eight-inning complete game. He struck out three and didn't walk a batter.

Rutgers-Newark received two hits apiece from MacFarlane, Troisi, Napolitano and junior leftfielder Michael Murray.

Brooks went 3-for-4 to lead the Scarlet Raptors' 13-hit attack, while Carter, Theckston, Sigismondi and junior centerfielder Bobby Romano each added two hits.