Box Score
CAMDEN, N.J...Junior catcher Greg Hunt (Marlton, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) ripped a two-run tie-breaking home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to trigger a late-inning offensive explosion that carried Rutgers University-Camden over The College of New Jersey, 8-5, in New Jersey Athletic Conference baseball action here Monday.
The win snapped an eight-game losing streak for the Scarlet Raptors, who improved to 5-13 overall and 1-2 in the NJAC. TCNJ falls to 8-10-1 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
The game was sailing along as a tight pitcher's duel between senior starters Damien Wright (Millville, NJ/Millville) of Rutgers-Camden and Dan Anderson (Lincroft, NJ/Middletown South) into the sixth inning. Locked in a 1-1 tie, the Lions loaded the bases with two outs on a single, a walk and a hit batsman when Raptor junior Michael Kondrath (Medford Lakes, NJ/Holy Cross) relieved Wright and worked out of the jam on a fly to center.
Rutgers-Camden broke the tie in the bottom of the frame following a leadoff walk to freshman designated hitter John Santilli (Folsom, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton). Following a sacrifice and a ground out, Hunt unloaded an opposite-field home run to right field for his first round-tripper of the season.
The Raptors added a pair of runs in the seventh on two hits, a walk and a throwing error as the Lions attempted to turn an inning-ending double play. The tacked on three more in the eighth after Hunt was hit by a pitch with one out. He advanced on a walk and hustled all the way home from second base when junior center fielder Scott Fruits (Turnersville, NJ/Paul VI) beat out the back end of another failed double play attempt for an unorthodox RBI fielder's choice.
Moments later, sophomore left fielder Tom Clarke (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) hit his second home run of the season, a two-run shot to right.
Trailing, 8-1, TCNJ made things quite interesting in the top of the ninth as the Lions scored four times before junior Cory Downham (Pitman, NJ/Pitman) entered the game and nailed down a save by retiring the last batter on a strikeout.
Three base hits, including a run-scoring single by sophomore center fielder Anthony Palmiotto (Manchester, NJ/Manchester Township), made it an 8-2 game. Freshman right fielder James Ruzich (Verona, NJ/Montclair Kimberley Academy) hit a two-out, two-run double to cut the gap to 8-4 and he scored on a triple by senior shortstop Jeff Toth (Parlin, NJ/Sayreville). Downham entered the game and nailed down his first save of the season, striking out his only batter to end the three-hour, six-minute contest.
Kondrath (1-2) picked up the win, working three innings and allowing eight hits, four earned runs and two walks. He struck out two. Wright didn't get a decision despite allowing only five hits and one unearned run in 5-2/3 innings. He walked four, hit three and struck out six.
Anderson (0-2) took the loss, allowing five hits, five runs (four earned) and three walks in six innings. He fanned two.
TCNJ collected 13 hits in the loss, including a 3-for-5 game with two runs scored by freshman catcher Mike Galeotafiore (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy). Toth, Palmiotto and senior second baseman Adam Tussey (Brooklawn, NJ/Gloucester) each added two hits.
For the Raptors, Clarke went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Fruits and Hunt each added one hit, two runs and two RBIs.
Both teams host non-conference opponents Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. TCNJ plays Messiah College, while Rutgers-Camden faces John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
