By ANTHONY MILLER
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN

Every night is a new frustration for the Camden Riversharks.

In Friday's 3-2 loss to the Lehigh Valley Diamonds, the frustration had nothing to do with the pitching that had failed them during a three-game sweep at the hands of Somerset.

It was the lack of a clutch hit.

``We had runners in scoring position in all four of the first four innings, and we didn't get a hit to score anybody there to give us the early lead,'' Riversharks manager Wayne Krenchicki said. ``We battled back and tied it, but it wasn't enough.''

Sharks pitcher Ryan Schurman went eight innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, including the game- winning home run to Diamonds catcher Hector Kuilan with two outs in the eighth, and his performance could easily have been good enough.

Sharks hitters came up time and time again with opportunities to drive in runs.

In the first inning, Jesus Azuaje singled with one out and advanced to second base on a groundout by Darrell Nicholas. Then, after Guillermo Garcia was hit by a pitch, Dan Held struck out swinging to end the threat.

In the second, Jacob Brumfield led off with a bloop single into left field that fell between the shortstop and left fielder. Haddon Township High School graduate Brad Strauss followed with a base hit to right before Nelson Abreu and Andres Duncan struck out and Dwight Maness popped out to second.

The Sharks left four more base runners in the third and fourth innings.

``I think everybody's trying to force the action and do something to try and break us loose into something big,'' said Strauss, who went 3-for-3 with a walk but was thrown out at second trying to extend a single in the fourth inning.

``I think we've been doing that all year. Everybody wants to do it so badly that we get too keyed up, and we're not swinging at good pitches.''

The Diamonds scored a run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Chad Gambill and Francisco Lebron, then added another in the fifth on a base hit by Harvey Hargrove, who moved to second on a throwing error by Strauss, took third on a fly ball by Asbel Ortiz and scored on a squeeze bunt by P.J. Williams.

``It's frustrating losing,'' Strauss said. ``There's nobody to point a finger at; it seems like we just can't do anything together.''