SEWELL, N.J. – Rutgers-Camden scored runs in each of its first at-bats and hit three home runs as it defeated No. 5/8 TCNJ, 8-5, on Thursday afternoon in an NJAC game.
 
Rutgers-Camden strung together four hits in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead, but the inning ended abruptly for the Scarlet Raptors when Jacob Simon threw out R.J. Concepcion at the plate.
 
The Lions responded quickly in the top of the second. Matt Giacose singled with one out, and Joe Oczkowski followed with a double to left center to put runners at second and third. Grant Sible tied the score with an RBI groundout. After Danny Borup reached on an infield single to move Oczkowski to third, Thomas Persichetti gave the Lions the lead with a double to left center to score a run.
 
Trailing, 2-1, Rutgers-Camden hit home runs in three consecutive innings to take control of the game. Nolan Gerold hit a solo shot to left to tie the score in the bottom of the second. Matt Yanick hit a two-run homer to left in the third to make it 4-2 Rutgers-Camden, and Chris Jones provided the big blow with a three-run home run in the fourth inning to make it 7-2.
 
The Lions were down to their final strike in the ninth while trailing, 8-2, but Borup singled up the middle. That started a mini rally for TCNJ as Persichetti followed with a double to make it 8-3. Cardona came up next, and he blasted a two-run homer to right center to pull the Lions to within 8-5. The rally stopped there, though, with the Lions falling by three runs.
 
Borup and Persichetti each had three hits. Cardona, Simon and Oczkowski each had two hits. Yariel Levin pitched three shutout innings in relief, allowing just a walk and no hits.
 
The teams play the back half of the home-and-home at George Ackerman Park on Friday at 3:30 p.m.