NEWARK, N.J. – The Cairn University baseball team lost, 5-3, at non-conference opponent Rutgers Newark on the road in a single nine-inning game on Thursday afternoon.
 
Both teams engaged in a defensive battle early, before the two programs each tallied a run in the fourth inning. In the top of the seventh, Cairn (7-6) took the lead when junior Samuel Spadea (Yardley, PA / Pennsbury) scampered home on a wild pitch and increased its lead to 3-1 off an RBI fielder's choice by senior Ryan Clark (Babylon, NY / Clarks Summit University). Rutgers Newark (9-5) responded by posting a three-spot in the bottom half of the inning and boosted its advantage to 5-3 with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Cairn got a good opportunity to tie the contest in the top half of the ninth after putting runners on first and second with one out. However, the Scarlet Raiders retired Cairn's final two hitters to seal the victory.


The Highlanders tallied four hits in the contest, courtesy of Spadea, classmate Tyler Fox (Boyertown, PA / West-Mont Christian Academy) and seniors Caleb Edman (Nokesville, VA / Northern Virginia Community College) and Quinton Pertkiewicz (Pinellas Park, FL / Keswick Christian). Junior Cameron Culver (Croydon, PA / Truman) got the start on the bump, tossing 6.1 innings, scattering eight hits, four runs and striking out six. Junior Jake Kraihanzel (Bethlehem, PA / Liberty) went 1.2 innings in relief, giving up one hit and one run.
 
Cairn will be back in action on Saturday, March 26 when it returns home to open up its Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) slate against Saint Elizabeth University for a doubleheader inside the Stillman Complex at 12 p.m.