Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers University-Newark got the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning after surrendering the lead in the top of the frame in a rain-shortened 7-6 upset of The College of New Jersey in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
 
Senior Jimmy Napolitano, who hurled into the seventh inning for the Scarlet Raiders, delivered the game-winning 2-out single through the middle of the infield to plate senior first baseman Vin Troisi from second base and end the scoring in the see-saw affair.
 
Napolitano made a winner of reliever Andrew Nasti (3-3) who came on with two on and no one out in the seventh.  Nasti also finished the top of the eighth in a pouring rain, getting a great play on the last play of the game.
 
With 2-out and Lions on first and second, junior centerfielder Jason McCluskey sprinted into the left centerfield gap to snare a hard-hit fly ball off the bat of junior rightfielder David Rondesko to prevent TCNJ from surging into the lead.  The officials called for the tarps after McCluskey's catch, but the rain only intensified as the Raiders realized that they has upended the NJAC leading Lions (15-6, NJAC 4-2).  The win gave Rutgers-Newark a regular-season series split with TCNJ.
 
Sophomore rightfielder Cameron Dias singled and scored the Raiders' first run in the second inning, stroked an RBI single to cap a 2-run outburst in the third and capped a 3-run spree in the fifth with an RBI on a ground ball to the shortstop.
 
In the second inning, Dias singled ahead of a hard hit line drive down the left field line by Napolitano.  Both runners advanced when the leftfielder allowed the ball to get past him.  Senior catcher Steve Tamayo hit a 1-out ground ball to the shortstop to plate Dias with Rutgers-Newark's first run.
 
In the third, sophomore second baseman Gerry Patrizio led off by getting aboard a throw error before sophomore shortstop Ryan MacFarlane bunted him into scoring position.  Troisi followed with an RBI single to left field and advanced to second base on the throw to the plate.  Dias slapped a single to left to slice the Raider deficit to 4-3.
 
In the fifth, a pair of TCNJ infield errors fueled the Raiders' 3-run outburst.  After Patrizio reached first on a fielding error, MacFarlane walked before Troisi slow roller to third was fired wide of the first baseman.  Patrizio scored while MacFarlane and Troisi moved into scoring position.  Junior leftfielder Michael Murray sent an RBI single through the middle infield ahead of Dias's fielder's choice RBI to stake Rutgers-Newark to a 6-4 lead.
 
The Raiders bounced back from a 4-0 deficit in the first two innings fueled by a pair of Rutgers-Newark errors.  None of the first four runs were earned against Napolitano who scattered seven hits while walking five and striking out two.  He gave up back-to-back singles to junior first baseman Josh Limon and Rondesko to open the seventh before giving way to Nasti on the mound.
 
Limon and Rondesko were on second and third after Rondesko's single down the left field line got past Murray.  Nasti uncorked a wild pitch on his first throw to plate Limon before freshman second baseman Ben Varone stroked a single to shallow left field to knot the game at 6-6.
 
Rutgers-Newark (8-16, NJAC 2-4) is scheduled to travel to Old Westbury on Tuesday at 3 p.m. for a non-conference tilt before returning to NJAC action against Kean on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Riverfront Stadium.