By MICHAEL RADANO
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN

It was only the first game of a stretch run that the Camden Riversharks hope brings them a playoff berth.

``As poorly as we've played and, no matter what some people have said, we're still in this,'' Sharks manager Wayne Krenchicki said Friday despite the Sharks dropping a 7-4 decision to the Bridgeport Bluefish at Campbell's Field Friday night.

``I'm just looking for consistency out of this team. We haven't been able to do that all year. We have an opportunity to make a run.''

Unfortunately, Friday night's game was just like the 88 that preceded it. Bridgeport (19-7 second half, 49-40 overall) scored five earned runs in the top of the fourth and the Sharks, who will play 30 of their final 38 games at home, never fully recovered in a contest that was interrupted by one hour and 24 minutes of rain delays.

The loss was the seventh straight for the Sharks, who have become very streaky of late. As recently as July 31, they had won four straight and six out of eight.

``Seven losses in a row is ridiculous,'' Sharks first baseman Dan Held said. ``We have to take it one series at a time. We need to come out and win tomorrow and hopefully Sunday. We can still win this series.''

With the game tied at 1, Mel Wearing led off the top of the fourth with a walk off Sharks starter Anthony Briggs. Briggs had been effective until that point and he began to unravel when Orreste Marrero followed with a double into the left-field corner.

A walk to Brandon Kingman loaded the bases and Kinnis Pledger cleared them with a triple into the right-center gap that traveled to the wall - the deepest part of Campbell's Field at 416 feet.

One batter later, Duane Singleton hit a line-drive homer over the right-field wall and Bridgeport held a 6-1 lead.

``He got behind hitters all night,'' Krenchicki said of Marrero. ``He didn't have command of his fastball. And when you only have a changeup working, hitters are going to take advantage. I think his last start was at Bridgeport and he got behind hitters all night that night, too.''

Camden (8-18, 32-57) stayed close after Held hit a solo home run in the fourth and Darrell Nicholas added a two-run shot in the sixth to pull the Sharks within 6-4.

``I think the double (in the second), sandbagging and going the other way at least made them think I could go the other way,'' said Held, who went 3-for-4 with a double to go with his homer. ``It's been a struggle over the last month and a half to get some consistent swings. Tonight I put four together.''

Fans at the game and those who decided against it can redeem their tickets or ticket stubs for a game later this season. Despite the delays, 4,559 showed at Campbell's Field for the game and the subsequent fireworks. The crowd boosted the Sharks' season attendance to 3,986, good enough to rank them third in the eight-team league.

The attendance has been a bright spot in an otherwise dark inaugural campaign for the Sharks, who will need to win consistently to salvage their season.

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