By MICHAEL RADANO
Courier-Post Staff
NEWARK

The day started poorly for the Camden Riversharks. Then it got worse.

Riding a four-game losing streak and fighting 100-degree heat (124 on the field of Bears and Eagles Stadium), the Riversharks saw Newark score six runs in the second off starter Derek Root for a 9-7 win. It was the fifth straight loss for the Sharks on their current 10-game road trip. They started the trip winning four straight, but now need to beat the Bears (11-13 half, 49-38 season) tonight to salvage a 5-5 trip.

Root, the Sharks' most consistent starter over the past month, battled through the first and managed to escape a leadoff walk unscathed.

The second inning, which featured a little bit of everything and all of it bad for the Sharks, was different.

Newark's Billy Ashley led off the inning with a fisted ball into short center. Peto Ramirez followed singled, advancing Ashley to third. That's when the fun really began.

Joe Mathis drove a ball into the dirt in front of home plate. The ball then floated over first baseman Dan Held and into short right field. What drew the ire of the Sharks more than anything was first base umpire Joe Cruz's casual approach to the ball and the fact he never turned around to see the ball land in the shallow right field. The Sharks (8- 16, 32-55) thought it was foul.

Cruz had also given Root a mystery balk in the first inning and Sharks manager Wayne Krenchicki had seen enough. He used some choice words when expressing his concerns to Cruz and was thrown out. On his way to the locker room, which is in the left field corner, he expressed his thoughts to home plate umpire Brice Martin and the third base umpire Bob Williams.

Still the score was only 1-0 as Danny Kannell (yes, the former Florida State and New York Giants quarterback) came to the plate. Kannell hit to the right-field corner was misplayed by Jacob Brumfield, the second of two fielding mishaps he had in the inning, into a triple and Newark held a 3-0 lead.

After Jose Alguacil walked, a Lauro Felix single made it 4-0 and after a double play Hensley Muelans hit a two-run home run to left for a 6-0 lead. Exit Root, stage left.

"This loss is totally on me," said Root, who had allowed five earned runs over his last 15˜ innings coming into the game. "I worked through the first inning but I really didn' t accomplish what I wanted to and that was getting ahead of the hitters. Too often I had hitter's counts.

"It's a shame because its tough for any team to come back from six runs down. They tried but just came up short. They should never have been put in that position."

With one out catcher Joe Goodwin hit a lazy fly into short center. Ashley came in from center and slid under second baseman Felix, who failed to hold onto the ball. The two never collided but Goodwin reached second with a double. Andres Duncan then hit a cue shot between third baseman Jeff Ball and the line and his double made the score 6-1. Haddon Township graduate Brad Strauss then singled to left center for the second run of the inning to set up Jesus Azuajes first home run of the season and the Sharks only trailed 6-4.

Rod Bolton and Frankie Sanders combined for three earned runs over the next 5— innings.

"I feel a lot better with how I've pitched over the last two-three weeks," said Bolton, who after a tough first half has lowered his ERA to under 8“.

Bolton was seen as the staff ace before the season and has shown signs of being the type of pitcher this team needs. In the last 10 games he has allowed six runs over 13— innings.

"It's all about confidence," Bolton said. "I needed some strong outings and I feel like I'm headed the right way. I just wish we could have gotten a win today. It just wasn't meant to be." Strauss hit a solo home run in seventh.

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