DAVENPORT, Fla. – The Lawrence University baseball team came out swinging and built an early lead, but Rutgers-Camden used a big sixth inning to pull away for a 13-6 win on Friday.
Lawrence wasted no time getting on the board in the opening inning. AJ Desantiago singled and came around to score on a Steven Baudendistel RBI single, giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
The Vikings added to that momentum in the third inning with their biggest swing of the day. Tate Hartlaub reached and Desantiago worked his way on base, setting the table for CJ Filipek, who launched a three-run home run to center field to push Lawrence ahead 4-0.
Rutgers-Camden began to chip away in the third inning, scoring twice, and continued to apply pressure with additional runs in the fourth and fifth to take a 5-4 lead.
The game turned decisively in the sixth inning. The Raptors capitalized on defensive miscues and timely hitting to plate seven runs in the frame. Gavin McCaffrey delivered the biggest blow with a three-run home run, breaking the game open and giving Camden a commanding lead.
Lawrence continued to compete late, responding in the seventh inning. Desantiago came through with an RBI single, and Boris Christensen followed with a run-scoring hit to cut into the deficit.
Desantiago led the Vikings with two hits and three runs scored, while Filipek drove in three runs with his home run. Baudendistel added two hits and an RBI, and Christensen chipped in an RBI as part of an eight-hit effort.