NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark senior third baseman
Joe Furnaguera went three for four, but Rutgers-Camden exploded for 15 hits in an 8-4 win in the quarterfinal round of the ECAC Metro Baseball Championship in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
Rutgers-Camden 8, Rutgers-Newark 4
Furnaguera hammered a lead-off home run in the eighth for the Raiders – his team-high 11th of the season – to cut the Scarlet Raptors’ lead to 7-4.
Senior centerfielder Scott Fruits went five for six and drove in three runs to pace Rutgers-Camden (21-18). The Scarlet Raptors advance to Saturday’s semifinal round while the Scarlet Raiders (22-21) ended their 2010 campaign with a second consecutive first-round loss in the ECAC tournament.
Consecutive singles by second baseman
Matt Connors, centerfielder
Michael DiCenso and shortstop
Patrick Reitemeyer to the Raiders on the board with a pair of runs in the third.
A bases-loaded sacrifice fly to deep rightfield by junior leftfielder
Cassese made it 7-3 in the sixth.
DiCenso notched three hits for Rutgers-Newark while Reitemeyer added a pair of singles in the 10-hit attack.
Sophomore righthander Andrew Hoffman scattered nine hits while striking out four and walking just one in eight full innings of work to up his record to 5-4. Junior reliever John Diamond gave up a hit and a walk against a strikeout to close out the ninth while coaxing a game-ending double-play grounder.
Sophomore second baseman Jon Hydock, who went two for four, hammered a solo home run down the leftfield line to open the third inning for what proved to be the game-winning hit.
Sophomore designated hitter John Santilli got the Raptors on top early with a two-run double to right centerfield in the first before senior catcher Greg Hunt boosted the Rutgers-Camden lead to 4-0 with a two-run single in the second against losing pitcher Billy Cerruti (4-5).
Fruits brought home two insurance runs in the fifth with a single through the middle of the infield, giving the Raptors a 7-2 edge. Fruits also singled home the final Rutgers-Camden run in the top of the ninth.
Rutgers-Camden junior leftfielder Tom Clarke made a running stab of a line drive off the bat of senior designated hitter
Anthony Yeswita to end the seventh inning and a strand a runner. With Furnaguera slugging his 11th home run of the season as the next batter to face Hoffman, it turned out to be the defensive play of the game.