This past Saturday, Rutgers-Camden (15-5) faced New Jersey City University (5-10). The Scarlet Raptors have been unstoppable recently and were able to keep a winning streak going for the start of their first NJAC series. The doubleheader against the Knights was filled with excitement, and the Scarlet Raptors were ready to keep the spirits high. If the wins weren't enough, milestones were reached, and records were broken.
Rutgers-Camden swept the twinbill against NJCU, 5-4 and 7-3. In the ninth inning of the second game, Rutgers senior Auggie Uzdanovics picked up his 100th career hit. He was the second Scarlet Raptor to join the 100-hit club in a week.
Adding even more excitement to the doubleheader, Rutgers senior Danny Vazquez broke the program record for assists. He collected seven assists on Saturday, bringing his total to 332. The previous record was steady at 328 for nearly a decade. Vazquez also participated in a double play, bringing his total to 78. The program's record is 82, leaving Vazquez just four short of tying the record.
The first game started rocky as the Scarlet Raptors trailed for the first couple of innings. In the fourth inning, Rutgers-Camden was able to take the lead for good, starting with a triple from Vazquez. Steven Shaffer was able to reach base due to an error and went on to score when Ryan Nutley hit a single. During the fifth inning, the Scarlet Raptors hit three singles from Giacomo Antonicello, Jacob Watson, and Vazquez. These three players scored to make it 5-1.
In the sixth inning, NJCU narrowed the gap but was unable to regain a lead. Bryan Fernandez hit a two-run single, cutting the gap to 5-3. In the eighth inning, NJCU cut it to 5-4, but that was the last time they were able to score a run. They put up a good fight, but Rutgers-Camden secured the win.
In the second game, the Scarlet Raptors had to overcome an early deficit again. Even with an early deficit, they were able to create a larger gap in this game. They ended the game victorious 7-3, sweeping NJCU.
Jack Murphy hit a home run in the fifth inning, the 17th of his career. The homer leaves him just four short of tying the program's record. Murphy was not the only one to hit a home run as Diego Salazar was able to hit a bomb later in the inning. Even without home runs, Rutgers-Camden had many strong hitters during this game. Shaffer went to bat five times and had four hits, two runs, and two RBIs. Vazquez went to bat tour times and had two hits, one run, and one RBI. Watson also went to bat five times and had two hits.
The Scarlet Raptors came out on fire for their NJAC openers. They have won eight out of their last ten games and are riding high. The NJAC season has just begun, and Rutgers-Camden is here to show out.
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