CAMDEN, N.J. - The Haverford College baseball team (1-1) opened the 2026 season with a doubleheader split at Rutgers-Camden (1-2) on Saturday, prevailing in the opener with a 4-2 final before the host Raptors evened the series with an 8-3 victory in the late-afternoon matchup.
Haverford 4, Rutgers-Camden 2
Haverford broke the game open with a three-run fourth inning, highlighted by five doubles in the contest.
Rutgers-Camden took an early lead in the third inning when a double by Jake Slusarski drove in Matt McAleer. However, the Fords responded decisively in the fourth inning. Jackson Sgro led off with a double and advanced to third on a flyout. Miles Prusek followed with an RBI triple to bring Sgro home, and Sam Schaeffer's two-run double to right-center extended the lead, scoring both Prusek and Cole Roman for a 3-1 advantage.
Haverford's offense continued to apply pressure in the eighth inning. Prusek's leadoff double, coupled with a throwing error, set the stage for Schaeffer, who delivered an RBI single to right-center, adding a crucial insurance run. Defensively, the Fords managed to quash Rutgers-Camden's late threats, leaving two runners stranded in both the eighth and ninth innings. A double play to end the contest secured Haverford's victory, a hard-fought win in the opener secured by timely hits and strong defense and pitching.
Sgro began his sophomore season with a bang, posting three hits and a double while scoring one run. Schaeffer drove in three runs and recorded three hits, including a double, while also adding a stolen base. Prusek scored twice, notching a triple and a double among his two hits.
On the mound, Sam Cohen was dazzling, striking out eight batters over five innings while allowing just two earned runs to secure the win.
Adam Naegelen contributed 2 2/3 innings in relief, giving up just one hit without surrendering a run. Ethan Goldstein closed the game for the Fords, tossing 1 1/3 innings and allowing one hit and one walk. The pitching staff combined for a shutdown performance, with no runs allowed after the fifth inning.
For the Raptors, Slusarski was a standout performer with four hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. McAleer contributed offensively with a double and a run scored. On the mound, Danny Torres Jr. pitched six innings, striking out nine batters while allowing three earned runs.
Rutgers-Camden 8, Haverford 3
In game two, Haverford's offense was highlighted by two doubles but was ultimately overshadowed by a late rally in a back-and-forth battle, with the hosts capitalizing on three errors by the Fords.
Luke Treese began the contest with a double ahead of a Sgro single, with a run scoring on a failed pickoff throwing error. Rutgers-Camden tagged Jack Couture for a run in the bottom of the second, as Torres Jr. was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI groundout.
The Raptors took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third as an infield single and two walks set up an infield single from Torres Jr. and a fielder's choice. Couture was able to wiggle out of further trouble, setting the tone for the Fords in the top of the fourth. Prusek walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, took third on Schaeffer's flyout, and came in to score on an RBI groundout off the bat of Cole Roman.
Haverford tied the score in the fifth, with Sam Dorian reaching on an infield single ahead of Sgro's double in the left-center field gap that plated pinch-runner Jack Phiel. Unfortunately for the visitors, that would be the last run to cross the plate.
Rutgers-Camden took the lead on a Ryan Joseph double in the bottom of the fifth, chasing Couture from the game before Alex Jenkinson recorded a quick out. D.J. Juliano was then summoned to the mound, working a 1-2-3 frame in the sixth. RU-C rallied in the sixth without a ball leaving the infield, as a combination of walks, an infield hit, and a throwing error plated a pair of runs for the hosts. Rutgers-Camden grabbed insurance in the eighth against Ben Pew, as a Slusarski triple wrapped around a pair of walks added a run before a wild pitch with the bases loaded brought in another.
At the top of the lineup, Treese and Sgro each recorded a pair of hits, while Kaden Van Kempen and Dorian added their first career hits. On the mound, Couture scattered four earned runs over five innings with one strikeout. Jenkinson twirled a scoreless inning, while Lewis went 1.1 innings without allowing an earned run.
Strikeouts were integral for the hosts in game two, with Austin Wokock recording 10 in five innings before Juliano earned the save with seven in four innings, allowing just two Haverford hits.
Haverford will now return to action with one more contest before the spring break trip to Fort Myers, Fla., as they travel to No. 8 Rowan on Thursday, March 5. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. in Glassboro, N.J.
