CAMDEN, N.J. (April 2, 2015) – With one swing of the bat here Thursday, Rutgers University-Camden sophomore shortstop Pedro Perez (Burlington, NJ/Burlington City) changed the complexion of an early-season showdown between two of the top teams in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Perez drilled a two-run home run over the right field fence, sparking the Scarlet Raptors to a three-run rally that lifted Rutgers-Camden over nationally-ranked Rowan University, 4-2, in the opener of a home-and-home series with the Profs. The two teams play in Glassboro Friday at 3:30 p.m.

The victory was the fifth straight for the Scarlet Raptors, who improve to 7-8 overall and 3-0 in the NJAC. It was the 12th game the Raptors have played so far this season against teams that have been either nationally ranked or received votes toward a national poll. They are 6-6 in those contests.

Rowan, which is ranked No. 30 in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Division III poll and received 29 votes this week toward the D3baseball.com Top 25, falls to 12-6 overall and 2-1 in the NJAC, snapping a six-game winning streak.

With the Raptors trailing, 2-1, senior first baseman Connor Hall (Delran, NJ/Delran) opened the bottom of the seventh with a single to right. Moments later, Perez hit his first home run at Rutgers-Camden since transferring to the school from Southeastern Community College in Iowa. His shot answered a titanic two-run home run by the Profs' senior designated hitter Casey Grimes (Gibbstown, NJ/Paulsboro) in the fifth inning, which sailed over the Wawa sign beyond the left-center field fence and vaulted Rowan into a 2-1 lead.

Rutgers-Camden added a huge insurance run in the seventh. One out after the Perez home run, junior third baseman Brett Tenuto (Audubon, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) singled to right and raced to third on a hit and run single through the right side by sophomore catcher Jon Theckston (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic). Junior second baseman Matthew McElhatton (Haddon Heights, NJ/Camden Catholic) squeezed home Tenuto to give the Raptors a 4-2 lead.

That extra run came in handy in the ninth when the Profs made noise with two outs against Raptor junior Andrew Gottstein (Bloomsburg, PA/Bloomsburg), who picked up his first Rutgers-Camden win in relief of junior starter Ryan Sullivan (Livingston, NJ/Livingston). After retiring the first two batters in the ninth, Gottstein hit junior second baseman Eric Oliver (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) and walked senior third baseman Eric McMenamin (Maple Shade, NJ/Maple Shade). Raptor junior closer closer Kyle Gaff (Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester City) entered the game and hit Grimes to load the bases, but forced junior first baseman Steven Todd (Millstone Township, NJ/Allentown) to hit into a 6-5 force out to end the game. It was the third save of the season for Gaff, with all three coming against teams ranked nationally at the time.

Rutgers-Camden had taken an early lead in the first inning when junior designated hitter Joe Sigismondi (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) was hit by a pitch, stole second and continued to third on a throwing error. He scored on a two-out single by Hall.

Sullivan made that run stand up in a pitchers' duel against Profs starter Johnny Dunn (Pitman, NJ/Pitman) until the fifth, when McMenamin was hit by a pitch with two outs and Grimes unloaded his third home run of the season.

Sullivan worked 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, two walks and one hit batsman. He struck out five. Gottstein (1-1) worked 2.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit, one walk and one hit batsman. Gaff notched the save, working one-third of an inning and hitting one batter.

Dunn (0-2) worked 6.1 innings and was charged with six hits, four earned runs and two hit batsmen. He struck out one.

Hall and sophomore right fielder Zach Ellin (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) both went 2-for-4 for the Raptors, while junior catcher Stephen Petriello (South Plainfield, NJ/South Plainfield) went 2-for-4 for the Profs.