GLASSBORO, NJ – The Rowan University baseball team defeated Rutgers-Camden, 5-4 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) contest on Friday.
The Profs up their record to 21-9 overall and 5-3 in the conference while the Scarlet Raptors drop to 10-15 with a 1-7 NJAC mark.
Right-hander Andrew Cohen (sr. Monroe Twp., NJ/Monroe Twp.) tossed six innings for the victory. He (2-4) allowed four runs, three earned, and nine hits while striking out eight. Righty Rob Grilli (sr. Middletown, NJ/Middletown S.) pitched the last three frames for his second save. Right-handed pitcher Zach Welsher (sr. Audubon, NJ/Audubon) suffered the loss (1-2).
Designated hitter Shawn Leydon (jr. Roxbury, NJ/Roxbury) went two-for-three with a double, three RBIs and one run scored. Shortstop Matt Edwards (so. Manasquan, NJ/Manasquan) recorded two hits and one double. First baseman Monny Strickland (jr. Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/Egg Harbor Twp.) had one RBI and one run scored. Second baseman Alex Kokos (fr. Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) crossed the plate twice and outfielder Jason Clapper (sr. Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) scored one time.
Rutgers-Camden left fielder Doug Carter Jr. (sr. Union, NJ/Union) totaled three hits (five at bats), a double, one RBI and one run. Shortstop Nolan Gerold (fr. Merchantville, NJ/Camden Catholic) went three-for-three with a double and one run. Second baseman Chris Jones (so. Washington Twp., NJ/Bishop Eustace), catcher Jon Theckston (sr. Gloucester City, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and center fielder John Tedeschi (fr. Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Mem.) each tallied two hits. Theckston hit a triple while Jones had a double. Tedeschi knocked in two runs and third baseman Matthew Stoots (fr. Browns Mills, NJ/Pemberton Twp.) had one RBI.
Rowan began the scoring in the first. Kokos was hit by a pitch then scored on Leydon's double to right. The Scarlet Raptors evened the score in the second. Carter Jr. led off with a double then came around on Tedeschi's base hit. The Profs took the lead for good with four runs in the third. Leydon had a two-run single to left center, plating Clapper and Kokos. Leydon came home on a fielder's choice for a 4-1 advantage. Strickland scored on an error to make it 5-1.
Carter Jr. produced a run-scoring single through the left side in the fifth to cut the deficit to three (5-2). Gerold doubled in the sixth and touched the plate on Tedeschi's single. Theckston began the seventh with a triple to left center and scored on a fielder's choice for a one-run game. Carter Jr. led off the ninth with a base hit but was caught stealing second base. Grilli retired the next two batters to end the game.
Rowan is home for a conference doubleheader against Rutgers-Newark on Saturday, April 15 at 11:30 a.m.