'Sharks Come Up Big In Extras, Matera Injures His MCL In Walkoff Win

Brian Burgamy's RBI single in the bottom of the tenth scored Chris Walker and gave the 'Sharks their second extra inning walk-off victory over the Somerset Patriots in three days.

Burgamy was the hero of Tuesday night's game also, when his tenth inning home run sealed the win for Camden. He went 2 for 5 tonight with 2 RBI.

Bryan Corey got the start for the Riversharks, looking to rebound from his dismal four runs on eight hits, four and a third inning start against York on August 18th. Corey pitched well through six innings tonight, surrendering a single run on just four hits. He struck out three.

The 'Sharks scored a run in the first off Somerset's Justin Cassel, and again it was Burgamy providing the spark, doubling in Chris Walker for a 1-0 lead. The Pats tied it up in the fourth when a Colin Curtis sac fly scored Joe Holden.

Corey's exit after six gave way to the 'Sharks bullpen, and the Patriots took the lead in the seventh when a wild pitch from reliever Josh Walter got away from Raul Padron.

But a remarkable two out, ninth inning rally, capped by an RBI single from Steve Doetsch that tied the game, sent us to extras.

Scary moment for Camden: Paddy Matera was injured running hard into third base after Doetsch's hit, and had to be basically carried off the field by Ron Karovice and trainer Jason Kopec. It appears he either seriously sprained or perhaps might've broken his ankle, he was in obvious pain on his way off the field and into the locker room.

The 'Sharks, energized by their ninth inning success, wasted little time in the tenth. Chris Walker drew a leadoff walk, and Delwyn Young laid down a great bunt to get him into scoring position. Burgamy absolutely smoked a ball to the wall in right center, Walker scored, and Burgamy was mobbed by everyone in the dugout between first and second. 'Sharks win a thriller, 3-2 in ten innings.

UPDATE: According to 'Sharks GM Adam Lorber, Paddy injured his MCL going hard into third. That's a season ender, and possibly surgery. Get well soon, Paddy!

Brian Burgamy's Walk Off Heroics Lift Camden Over Somerset 5-4

Camden, NJ – First baseman Brian Burgamy’s line drive opposite field solo home run (16) in the bottom of the 10th inning propelled the Camden Riversharks (15-22, 49-57) to a 5-4 victory over the Somerset Patriots (19-21, 54-56) Tuesday night from Campbell’s Field. These two squads have split the first two games of this four game midweek series.

In the top of the second inning second baseman Freddie Bynum slapped a two RBI single through the right side of the infield to give the Patriots an early 2-0 lead.

In the ensuing half inning Camden tied the contest at 2-2 as shortstop Jake Eigsti fisted a two RBI single to center field.

Somerset retook the lead in the fourth frame as Bynum hit a RBI sacrifice fly to make the score 3-2.

The Riversharks jumped in front in the home half of the fifth inning as they plated two runs to take a 4-3 lead. Second baseman Delwyn Young hit a RBI double and designated hitter Eduardo Perez collected a RBI on a fielder’s choice.

The Patriots tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh inning as shortstop Yunesky Sanchez tallied a RBI on a fielder’s choice.

Burgamy’s blast proved to be the difference in the 10th inning as the Patriots lost in walk-off fashion for the second time in the last three games.

Leo Rosales earned his second win of the season while Carlton Smith suffered his third loss of the year.

Delwyn Young's Batting Average Dips Way Down To .833, Sharks Win 4-3

Returning to the line up for the first time since a bout of food poisoning sent him to the hospital for nearly a week, Delwyn Young promptly sent the third pitch he saw from Patriots starter Sean Green into orbit. It was the first of two dingers for Young, who finished the night going two for three with two RBI.

The Riversharks scored a run in each of the first four innings of tonight's game versus the Somerset Patriots. All but one, Lloyd Turner's RBI single in the second that scored Eddy Perez, came off solo homers. Young led off the second with another blast that made it 3-0, and Perez led off the fourth with his seventh homer of the year to put Camden up 4-0.

It would be just enough.

Keith Weiser got the start for the 'Sharks tonight and pitched pretty well, only allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. But things looked grim in the seventh, when with one out, and Spencer "No Lead Is Safe" Steedley on the mound, Joe Holden doubled to center, and Dan Hennigan followed up with a single. First and third with one out and the hero of last night's walk off win, Dan DeGeorge, coming up.

Luckily, Steedley got DeGeorge to ground to second. Unluckily, the 'Sharks couldn't complete the double play, getting only the force at second, and letting Holden score from third. But the defensive play of the game came next, when with Yunesky Sanchez batting, Raul Padron prevented any further damage when he caught Hennigan trying to steal for out number three.

Somerset got one more in the eighth when Corey Smith homered off Leo Rosales. John Lujan came on to pitch the ninth, and made a heads up defensive play of his own, throwing out Yusef Carter at second when Holden tried to bunt him over. The Patriots had two men on with two outs, but Lujan got DeGeorge to ground out to end the game and pick up his 22nd save of the year.

Sensei K.Reese Shows No Mercy

Kevin Reese threw five and two thirds innings of shutout baseball, and the 'Sharks offense got clutch hits from Paddy Matera and Eduardo Perez in tonight's 5-0 victory over the Somerset Patriots. 

Reese, who has not allowed a run in his last two starts, steps into a more prominent role in the pitching rotation thanks to the recent departure of righty Ricky Brooks, who was picked up by the Colorado Rockies yesterday.

The Riversharks started the scoring early when a Pedro Feliz double in the first scored Perez to make it 1-0. Perez launched a two run homer in the third to extend the lead to 3-0, and Matera's two RBI single in the ninth was the nail in Somerset's coffin.

The bullpen combo of Leo Rosales, Spencer Steedley and Zach Hammes allowed no runs and only one hit in three and a third innings of relief.

Ricky Brooks, Errors, And A Tale Of Two Double Plays.

In the top of the first inning at TD Bank Park, 'Sharks starter Ricky Brooks had the bases full of Patriots with only one out.

If you've followed the Riversharks at all this year, you've heard this song before: starting pitcher gets into early trouble, gets tagged for a bunch of runs, and the 'Sharks try to play catch up for the rest of the game. Today's matinee in Somerset looked like more of the same. But...

Brooks got third baseman Jeff Nettles to ground to second. Patty Matera scooped up the ball and flipped it to shortstop Jake Eigsti. Eigsti fired a strike over to first baseman Brian Burgamy, and suddenly the 'Sharks were out of the inning, without giving up a run. No one was more excited about this than Brooks, who slapped his glove and let out an exultant yell on his way back to the dugout.

That one play seemed to set the tone for the entire game. The 'Sharks batted around in the second inning, scoring four runs in the process thanks to a combination of walks, errors by the Patriots infield, and a 2 run double for outfielder Drew Macias.

Brooks retired the next six batters he faced. In the top of the third, Paddy Matera hit what looked like a sure double play ball to Pats second baseman Freddie Bynum. But Bynum couldn't come up with it, and what at first looked like two outs turned into another 'Sharks run as Macias scored from third on the play.

Brooks never let Somerset get into scoring position. In his five innings of work, no Patriot made it to second base. The only extra-base hit the Pats could muster was surrendered by reliever Zach Hammes in the seventh.

The 'Sharks tacked on one more in the sixth when Lloyd Turner singled and scored Chris Walker to make it 6-0.

The Patriots spoiled the shutout in the bottom of the seventh when Rex Rundgren singled in Aaron Mathews. Rundren's groudout RBI in the ninth made it 6-2, but that was as close as the Pats would get. John Lujan struck out Jonny Tucker to end the game and give the 'Sharks the victory.

Sharks Rally Past Pats, 4-3

Drew Macias had a huge day at the plate, going 3 for 4 and hitting what turned out to be the game winning home run in the top of the 9th inning, as the Camden Riversharks came from behind to defeat the Somerset Patriots 4-3 at TD Bank Park.

Starter Sean Jarrett struggled with his control at times, but was helped by some excellent defensive plays by the 'Sharks in his 5 innings of work.

Somerset would strike first, however. In the 4th, Pats left fielder Aaron Mathews stroked a single to left that scored both Freddie Bynum and Freddy Sandoval.

The Patriots added one more run in the 5th when a Jesse Hoorelbeke single to right scored Bynum to make it 3-0.

But the 'Sharks tied the game with back-to back RBI singles in the 8th by Colin Roberson and Scott Knazek, and Macias' late-inning heroics put Camden up to stay.

In relief of Jarrett, the bullpen combo of Joe D'Allessandro, Mike Mehlich and John Lujan were absolutely superb over the course of four shutout innings, striking out eight Patriots between them and not allowing any hits. Mehlich gets the win, his first, and Lujan notches his fifth save.

Eigsti's 3 RBI & Solid Bullpen Lift Sharks Over Pats

Mike McGuire looked like he was in trouble.

After walking Somerset's lead off man Johnny Tucker and giving up a Texas Leaguer to second baseman Freddie Bynum, a Freddy Sandoval RBI single made it 1-0 Pats in the top of the first.

But after picking off Sandoval, McGuire retired the next two batters to end the inning and minimize the damage. He settled in, retiring the next six batters he faced, and only really got in trouble in the 4th, when Jesse Hoorelbeke crushed a 2 run homer to left, making it 3-0 Pats.

The 'Sharks countered in the bottom of the 4th when Jake Eigsti drove in newly acquired third baseman Marquez Smith with a one out grounder to third.

Camden tied the game in the 6th when Eigsti doubled down the left field line to score Lloyd Turner and Brian Burgamy. Somerset manager Sparky Lyle came out to argue the ball was foul, but after the umpires converged (and talk for a LONG time, meaning: nobody really had a good view of the play) the call stood, and it was 3-3 'Sharks after 6.

Somerset took the lead again in the top of the 7th on a sac fly to left from Sandoval. But the 'Sharks again rallied after the stretch when Smith's 2 out, 2 RBI single scored Chris Walker and Colin Roberson.

The bullpen combo of Zach Hammes, Jason Bergmann, and John Lujan combined to blank the Pats the rest of the game, allowing no run and no hits through 2 2/3 innings. Hammes gets the win, and Lujan struck out two in the 9th to earn his fourth save of the season.

Yes, This Really Happened.

Goodbye. Farewell. Amen.

The Camden Riversharks closed out the 2011 season with a 10-0 shutout victory over the Somerset Patriots tonight at Campbell's Field. Newly acquired pitcher Zac Cline earned his first win as a Shark throwing six innings of 2 hit ball, while striking out three.

Shortstop Jake Eigsti went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI. Eigsti also made a spectacular stop in the 4th on a hard hit ball from Pats third baseman Jeff Nettles.

Camden began the scoring in the third inning when Noah Hall singled in Lloyd Turner to make it 1-0. In the fourth, the Sharks plated three more runs when Eigsti singled in Danny Richar, Toby Hall singled in Eigsti, and Turner's sac fly scored Jonel Pacheco to make it 4-0.

But the Sharks really broke it open in the seventh. Pats reliever Ron Villone was tagged for three runs, first an Alvin Colina single to left that scored Ruddy Yan and Turner, and next Brian Burgamy's single to right that scored Colina and made it 7-0.

The Riversharks weren't done. After a pitching change for Somerset, Danny Richar's ground out to first scored Colina. Then Jake Eigsti launched a 2 run home run over the left field wall to make it 10-0.

Relievers Joe D'Allesandro and Mike McGuire combined for 3 scoreless innings innings in relief of Cline.

Patriot's Second Baseman Matt Hagen Records His First K

Hagen pitched the bottom of the 6th for the Pats in tonight's 10-0 loss.

NO NO YES!!!!

The Camden Riversharks completed a double-header sweep over the Somerset Patriots including a combined no-hitter by five pitchers in Game 2. The no-hitter was the 5th and the second combined no-hitter in Atlantic League history.

No pitcher went more than two innings as Santos Hernandez, Mike McGuire, Joe D’Allesandro, Chris Rollins, and Kelan Gearhart combined to throw the first no-hitter in Riversharks history.

In Game 1, Camden trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the 5th inning before scoring four runs off starter Jim Magrane to take a 5-2 lead.

Danny Richar hit the go-ahead RBI single to give the ‘Sharks the lead and Brian Burgamy provided them with some insurance and he followed that up with a two-run double.

Eddy Camacho (7-7) picked up his first win since August 21st going all seven innings allowing two runs on six hits.

In addition to the no-hitter, the Riversharks pounded out 18 hits in Game 2 en route to a 10-0 destruction over the Patriots.

Already leading 1-0 in the bottom of the 3rd, the ‘Sharks added three more runs to push the lead to 4-0. Jake Eigsti hit a two-run single and Jonel Pacheco hit a sacrifice fly to cap off the scoring in the three-run frame.

Camden blew it open in the 4th inning with six more runs as they sent eleven to the plate in the inning. The ‘Sharks had eight hits in the inning highlighted by a two-run home run by Brian Burgamy.

Every Rivershark had a base hit in the game and Ruddy Yan, Alvin Colina, and Brian Burgamy each had three hits.