STOCKTON TOPS RUTGERS-CAMDEN 8-5

Barry Larro

Boxscore

Richard Stockton (18-13, 6-6 NJAC) scored in its first four offensive turns and topped Rutgers-Camden (12-20, 3-9) 8-5 to complete a sweep of the two-game series between the teams.

Barry Larro (Cedarville/Cumberland) and Shawn Kessler (Bayville/Central Regional) each registered two hits, two RBI and a run scored.

Mike Wasco (Riverside/Riverside) and Dan McGuckin (Sicklerville/Winslow Twp.) also contributed two hits apiece.

Winning pitcher Gage Mick (Bridgeton/Cumberland) surrendered 14 hits and struck out two in 7.1 innings pitched but held Rutgers-Camden to five runs (one unearned). Brandon Trainor (Manahawkin/Southern) closed the game with 1.1 scoreless innings for his third save of the season.

Stockton took the early lead as Larro led off the game with a single and later scored on an RBI single by McGuckin. The Ospreys added three more runs in the second inning for a 4-0 advantage. Marc Asta (Jackson/Jackson Memorial) walked and scored on a wild pitch before Kessler singled in two runs.

An RBI single by Asta in the third inning brought Wasco home to make the score 5-0. Kessler led off the fourth frame with a single and moved to third base on a double by Mike Bush (Manahawkin/Southern). Both players then scored as Larro followed with a two-run single to increase the lead to 7-0.

Rutgers-Camden tried to rally with single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings to pull within 7-3. Stockton was handed a run in the eighth inning as Bush led off with a walk, moved to second on a balk and scored on a throwing error for an 8-3 count.

The Scarlet Raptors got within 8-5 on a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth before Trainor snuffed out the rally attempt as Stockton held on for the win.