After a loss Friday night, Camden Rivershark manager Wayne Krenchicki summed up the importance of Saturday night's game against the Somerset Patriots.

"To lose a third time would be devastating," Krenchicki said.

With that the Sharks received a third consecutive strong outing from their starting pitcher only to see it go by the wayside due to lack of support from the defense, bullpen and offense. More often than not it's been a combination of all three and that's why the Sharks can eye up a fall vacation instead of a playoff run.

On Saturday, Derek Root got the loss as Somerset continued its dominance of the Sharks with a 7-3 win in front of 6, 304 at Campbell's Field. For Somerset (62-40 overall, 23-16 second half), the win was the eighth straight over their South Division rivals. To compound matters, it raised Somerset's record at Campbell's to a perfect 6-0 and gives the first half winners a nine-game lead over the Sharks in the second half.

"Derek pitched a good game," Krenchicki said. "We gave them four and five outs an inning and you can't do that against the best team in the league. He was in good shape and then we couldn't catch a fly ball and we couldn't catch a pop up. After that he let up a few hits. He allowed something, like four unearned runs. You can't do that against the best team in the league."

The Sharks (38-64, 14-25) actually entertained thoughts of making a run at Somerset at the start of the series. The Sharks were coming off a five-game win streak and were only six games behind the Patriots.

With the score tied 2-2, Root started off the sixth with a walk to DeRond Stovall. After Stovall moved to second on Michael Warner's ground out, the Sharks decided to give the game away.

Charles Poe hit a pop-up into short right field along the foul line. First baseman Dan Held drifted back but had trouble finding the ball. Second baseman Raul Rodarte called him off at the last minute and Rodarte had the ball in his glove, unfortunately it popped out of his glove and instead of two out and a runner on second, it was first and third with one out.

Kevin Dattola followed with a single to score Stovall with the third run of the night and second and last earned run that Root would allow. Mike Glavine singled home Poe and after a strike out, Rick Sellers double made the score 6-2 and ended Root's night.

For a much-maligned pitching staff that was the only squad with an ERA over 5.00 in the first half, the last three games are mentally draining as well as emotionally. After Lincoln Mikkelson went eight innings without a run in a 2-0 loss on Thursday and Mike Busby's four earned runs over seven innings in a 12-inning 6-4 loss on Friday, the Sharks team ERA dropped to an even 5.00. Root actually was able to push the team ERA to 4.96 - below 5.00 for the first time since May 17.

With a playoff spot all but gone, the Sharks now face the final 24 games with different goals. Just how a team that hasn't had a sense of urgency all season faces the on coming offseason remains the question.

"We still have things to play for," Krenchicki said. "Were nine out but I'm not going to say the season's over. We got six games now in the division and (Somerset) comes back in September. We have 24 games left and I'm not ready to quit."