Union, N.J. (4/30/16) – The Kean University baseball team suffered 7-4 and 6-4 setbacks to Rutgers-Camden in the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season finale for both.

Kean still sits atop of the NJAC standings and has earned the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament which begins at higher seeds on Tuesday, May 3^rd. 

Despite the sweep Rutgers-Camden fell to seventh place in the conference standings due to tie-breakers.  The Scarlet Raptors finished tied with William Paterson, however WP swept them head-to-head.

Game One

It was a game of big innings as Rutgers-Camden pushed out to a 5-0 lead after a five-spot in the fifth.  The Scarlet Raptors found the holes and strung together five singles, coupled with two walks.  Billy Jackson recorded two RBI with his bases-loaded single in the frame.

Trailing 6-0 after a Jon Theckston sacrifice fly in the seventh, the Cougars (24-14) powered through with four runs in the bottom of the eighth.  Senior Sal Taormina provided the big blow, a bases-clearing double.

Rutgers-Camden added insurance in the ninth with a single run and Kyle Gaff (5) was able to retire the side in order in the bottom of the inning to preserve the win.

Ryan Sullivan (4-0) tossed seven innings giving up two runs while scattering seven hits. 

Taormina was 2-for-4 with the only extra-base hit of the opener. 

Game Two

Kean took a 1-0 lead in the second to start the nightcap scoring as graduate student Matt Meleo lined a two-out, RBI single up the middle. 

The Scarlet Raptors took the lead right back in their half of the fourth as Joe Sigismondi, Jay Brooks and Doug Carter Jr. all singled to load the bases with no outs.  The Cougars were then able to record a strikeout and force out at home to pick up two outs.   Theckston pulled through, however, with a two RBI single in the hole to take a 2-1 lead.

The Cougars tied things up in the same frame as Matt Krupa crossed the plate on a throwing miscue after reaching earlier on a single.

In the see-saw battle Kean broke the two-all tie with a two-spot in the fifth as Taormina registered an RBI single and fellow senior Andy Lopez followed with an RBI single of his own.

Rutgers-Camden took the lead for good in the top of the sixth with three runs without the benefit of a hit.  The Cougars issued four walks and two hit-batsmen in the inning.

The Scarlet Raptors added insurance in the eighth with an RBI single from Brooks.

Chris Scarlett (3-1) earned the win after tossing five innings, giving up four runs, three earned, with four walks and two strikeouts.  John Griffin earned his first save of the season with four innings of shutout relief.