GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. – Two runs in the sixth broke a 5-5 tie to help Gwynedd-Mercy win its fifth-straight in a 7-6 non-league win over Rutgers-Camden Tuesday afternoon.

Back-to-back run scoring singles from junior Josh Martin (Pottstown, Pa./St. Pius X) and sophomore John Burns (Levittown, Pa./Neshaminy) all came with two outs. Martin sent a ball to center to score senior Kevin Smeraglio (Newtown, Pa./Holy Ghost) from second. After a steal, Martin would hustle home to beat the throw off a single to left from Burns.

Burns (1-for-2, 2 BB) also did it defensively behind the plate, throwing out three potential base stealers in the game, the last coming in the eighth to end the inning.

The Griffins (14-14) had just seven hits, but took advantage of 10 walks, six of which came from R-C starter Anthony Soyer. Down 3-1 going into the bottom of the third, Soyer led off the inning, dealing four-straight walks to Griffin batters to cut it to a one-run game. After a pitching change, another base on balls forced in a run to knot it at 3-3. Still with nobody out, freshman Rick Elfreth (Sicklerville, N.J./St. Augustine) ripped a shot to center to score two to reclaim the lead.

Bruce Monro delivered a two-run double in the fourth for the Scarlet Raptors and game was again tied (5-5).

After the go-ahead runs were scored in the sixth, R-C third baseman Christopher Bell made a diving stab to nab a hard hit ball from Dante Cassano (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) that would have gone for extra bases and may have scored Burns from second.

Rutgers-Camden managed to get a run across in the seventh on an RBI single but another key defensive stop ended the threat. With the sacks full for the Raptors, Albert Rivera hit a ball up the middle to center where Smeraglio fielded and made a strong throw home to get the runner from second trying to score.

Reliever Trevor Sotell (Cinnaminson, N.J./Paul VI) threw three innings to pick up the win in relief. He worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the ninth, getting an infield popup to end it.

Martin added a sac fly in the first and was officially 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Smeraglio also added two runs and also stole two bases.

Joe DiMento had four hits and a run scored and teammate Tristan Keyser was 2-for-5 with and RBI for Rutgers-Camden (10-15).

Gwynedd-Mercy will kick off a weekend conference series with Immaculata on Friday, as the Griffins host the Mighty Macs in a nine-inning affair starting at 3 p.m. The two teams will meet on Saturday in a doubleheader at noon.