 |
 |
| |
|
|
Monday, March 26, 2007 By Mike Ballard RAPTOR OF THE WEEK Freshman Akeem Lloyd ran the second leg on three successful Rutgers-Camden relay teams during the season-opening Richard Stockton Invitational March 24. The Raptors set program records in the distance medley (10:53.65) and the 800 sprint medley (1:37.69). They won their race in the distance medley and the 4x400 (3:27.38), while finishing second in the 800 sprint medley. BASEBALL (9-7) March Upcoming Games Thurs. 29* at Richard Stockton College 3:30 p.m. April May Schedule changes were the main order of business for the Rutgers-Camden baseball team last week, as postponements created a domino effect that caused numerous games to be rescheduled. The Raptors were postponed twice against Delaware Valley College (March 21 and March 23), and have moved that game to a 7 p.m. start on May 1. They finally played their lone game March 24 against DeSales, and they received an unexpected home date when the field conditions at DeSales University forced the Bulldogs on the road. That game ended with a 10-4 victory for the Raptors, raising their record to 9-7. Other changes to the schedule included the addition of a game at Gwynedd-Mercy College April 17 (changed from the original March 20 date) and a back-to-back series with Catholic University home on April 9 and away April 10. The Raptors had originally been scheduled to play at Catholic March 6, which had been changed to a home game March 27 before being postponed again. In its limited on-field action, Rutgers-Camden saw freshman designated hitter Paul Painter (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional) go 2-for-3 with three RBIs and the Scarlet Raptors turned six DeSales errors into eight unearned runs in a non-conference win March 24 in Camden. The contest was the first for both teams in over a week, since their spring break trips to Arizona. Rutgers-Camden improved to 9-7 with its second straight win, while DeSales fell to 5-4, snapping a four-game winning streak. The game was a pitchers’ duel between Rutgers-Camden senior Jason Ronca (Eastampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) and DeSales sophomore James Niesuchouski for the first four innings, with the teams locked in a 1-1 tie. In the bottom of the fifth, however, Rutgers-Camden plated four runs, aided by three hits and three errors, to take a 5-1 lead. The Raptors blew the game open in the sixth, scoring five unearned runs on four hits and three more DeSales errors. Ronca, who raised his record to 3-1, worked six innings of two-hit ball, allowing one run (earned) and one walk. He struck out five, moving past two players into fifth place on the career strikeout list with 146. Niesuchouski suffered his first loss of the year, dropping to 2-1, despite allowing only two earned runs out of his five runs. He worked five innings, allowing six hits and four walks, while fanning two. Rutgers-Camden took the lead for good in the fifth after a leadoff single by senior center fielder Nate Buchter (Blackwood, NJ/Highland Regional). He stole second and remained there when senior third baseman Mark Wickersham (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) reached on an infield error. After a wild pitch, Buchter scored on a fielder’s choice by senior first baseman Butch Amato (Haddon Heights, NJ/Paul VI), with Wickersham erased on the bases. The Raptors loaded the bases on a single by senior catcher Tom Terrill (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) and a bunt single by junior right fielder Joe Midili (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township). Painter followed with a sacrifice fly that was dropped in left field for an error, allowing two runs to score. A fielder’s choice by freshman second baseman Dennis O’Hanlan (Riverside, NJ/Riverside) scored another run when the throw from third base was dropped at the plate after a tag play on Midili. The Raptors’ five-run sixth inning, off freshman Joe Walsh (Green Brook, NJ/Watchung Hills) was enabled by a one-out dropped fly ball in right field. One out later, Midili singled home a run, Painter hit a two-run double and both O’Hanlan and junior shortstop Shawn Park (West Berlin, NJ/St. Joseph-Hammonton) added RBI singles. For the game, Park, Wickersham, Midili and Painter each had two hits, with Painter driving home three runs. Midili’s hits increased his team-high hitting streak to five games. For DeSales, sophomore third baseman Mike Pennington went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, including a two-run double in the ninth inning. SOFTBALL (11-7) Upcoming Games March April The Lady Raptors took last week off after a strong finish to their spring trip, winning all eight games at the Florida Coast Spring Training Camp March 13-16. Rutgers-Camden, the defending New Jersey Athletic Conference champion, begins NJAC play March 31 at New Jersey City University. Entering the NJCU doubleheader, senior outfielder Autumn Millett (Richwood, NJ/Clearview Regional) already has nine home runs, one behind the Raptors' single-season record by Becky Johnson in 2004. Millett also has 65 total bases, only 32 shy of Michelle Schlichtig's season mark set in 2006. She also has 30 RBIs (the record of 45 was set by Schlichtig last year), 32 hits (59 by Schlichtig in 2006) and 28 runs (her own mark of 47 was set last season) after only 18 games. She's hitting .561 and slugging 1.140. Millett already holds the program career records for home runs (32), total bases (293), runs (140), RBIs (126) and walks (71). She has 161 career hits, trailing only record-holder Celeste Chinappi (2002-05) and Schlichtig (2004-06) with 166 and 165, respectively. Last Monday, March 19, Millett earned honors as the NJAC Player of the Week, while freshman second baseman Steph Skroski (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) was named the NJAC Rookie of the Week. Millett also added honors as the ECAC Division III Metro Player of the Week. OUTDOOR TRACK March NO TEAM SCORES Rutgers-Camden winners: * Men’s Distance Medley (Mike Fox, Akeem Lloyd, Frank Iwanicki, Travis Stewart), 10:53.65 * 4x400 (Mike Fox, Akeem Lloyd, Stefon Coleman, Jonathan Salamon), 3:27.38 Rutgers-Camden School Records: * Men’s Distance Medley (Mike Fox, Akeem Lloyd, Frank Iwanicki, Travis Stewart), 10:53.65 * Men’s 800 Sprint Medley (Patrick Eigbe Jr., Akeem Lloyd, Stefon Coleman, Jonathan Salamon), 1:37.69 Upcoming Meets Sat. 31 at Danny Curran Invitational 10 a.m. April Freshman Akeem Lloyd (Atlantic City, NJ/Atlantic City) ran the second leg on three Rutgers University-Camden relay teams, two of which set program records and two of which won their event at the season-opening Richard Stockton Invitational March 24 in Pomona. The Scarlet Raptors established program records with their distance medley time of 10:53.65 and the 800 sprint medley clocking of 1:37.69. They won the distance medley and the 4x400 (3:27.38) and finished second in the 800 sprint medley. There were no team scores kept at the Stockton Invitational and the Rutgers-Camden women did not compete. In the distance medley, Lloyd was joined by junior Mike Fox (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley), freshman Frank Iwanicki (Edgewater Park, Holy Cross) and sophomore anchor Travis Stewart (Runnemede, NJ/Triton Regional). The 800 sprint medley featured junior Patrick Eigbe (Galloway, NJ/Absegami), sophomore Stefon Coleman (Penns Grove, NJ/Penns Grove) and sophomore anchor Jonathan Salamon (Bridgewater, NJ/St. Joseph-Metuchen). Salamon also anchored the 4x400, which included Fox, Lloyd and Coleman. In addition to the relays, the Raptors saw junior Ian Chrzanowski (West Deptford, NJ/Gloucester Catholic), a transfer from Gloucester County College, turn in a solid performance in his Rutgers-Camden debut. Chrzanowski finished fifth in the discus (121-09) and ninth in the shot put (39-10.0). Another shot putter, freshman Mark Smith (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) finished fourth with a put of 43-0.5. Two other Raptors, junior Michael McClain (Sewell, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep) and sophomore Brandon Gordon (Haddon Township, NJ/Haddon Township) competed for Rutgers-Camden. McClain was 10th in the long jump (14-0.5) and Gordon was fifth in the 5,000-meter run (17:25.92). WOMEN’S CREW March Women’s Varsity Four 1. Navy B, 6:41.40; 2. Bucknell A, 6:49.24; 3. Drexel, 6:50.50; 4. Rutgers-Camden, 6:52.47; 5. Susquehanna B, 7:03.87; 6. Sacred Heart B, 7:17.74. (Stroke-Cynthia Burt; 3-Laura Williams; 2-Kathleen Malony; bow-Regina Williams; cox-Michelle Sanchirico) Women’s Novice Four Heat #3 1. Rutgers-Camden, 7:19.43; 2. Bucknell, 7:21.35; 3. Carnegie Mellon, 7:28.85; 4. Villanova, 7:31.32. (stroke-Traci Arnold; 3-Rebecca Lodge, 2-Rachel Negro, bow-Monica Fleming; cox-Michelle Sanchirico) Women’s Novice Four Final 1. Bucknell, 6:43.3; 2. Penn State A, 6:50.0; 3. Rutgers-Camden, 6:53.1; 4. Lafayette, 6:54.4; 5. Haverford, 6:59.6; 6. Loyola, 7:10.8. Men’s Varsity Four Heat #1 1. Penn State A, 6:08.71; 2. American University A, 6:13.80; 3. Merchant Marine, 6:23.68; 4. Rutgers-Camden, 6:34.54; 5. Stony Brook, 6:46.96. (stroke-Sean Kendall; 3-Louis Gallagher, 2-Lance Carsillo; bow-Jeff Bermingham; cox-BJ Ochal) Upcoming Regattas Sat. 31 vs. Bryn Mawr and Susquehanna (Schuylkill River, Philadelphia, PA) April The Rutgers University-Camden women’s crew team saw its Novice Four boat capture first place in its heat and finish third in the finals as the Lady Raptors opened their 2007 spring season in the Murphy Cup March 24 on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. The Rutgers-Camden Women’s Varsity Four boat also competed, finishing fourth in its heat in a time of 6:52.47. That team included senior stroke Cynthia Burt (West Deptford, NJ/West Deptford), junior 3-seat Laura Williams (Cherry Hill, NJ/home schooled), freshman 2-seat Kathleen Malony (Haddonfield, NJ/Haddonfield Memorial), sophomore bow Regina Williams (Cherry Hill, NJ/home schooled) and junior coxswain Michelle Sanchirico (Mt. Laurel, NJ/Bishop Eustace Prep). The Raptors’ Novice Four posted a time of 7:19.43 to win its four-boat heat over Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon and Villanova. The team then The Novice Four boat included junior stroke Traci Arnold (Pitman, NJ/Pitman), junior 3-seat Rebecca Lodge (Clarksboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional), sophomore 2-seat Rachel Negro (Audubon, NJ/Paul VI), junior bow Monica Fleming (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood) and cox Sanchirico. The Rutgers-Camden men’s club team also saw its Varsity Four finish fourth in its heat, posting a 6:34.54 time behind the efforts of Sean Kendall, Louis Gallagher, Lance Carsillo, Jeff Bermingham and B.J. Ochal. GOLF Upcoming Matches March Mon. 26 York College Invitational 1 p.m. April Mon. 2 Lebanon Valley College Spring Tournament 12:30 p.m. Thur. 5 Moravian College Spring Invitational 1 p.m. Tues. 10 Widener Invitational II 1 p.m. |
 |
