By MICHAEL RADANO
Courier-Post Staff
CAMDEN

It wasn't pretty.But for the Camden Riversharks, the only thing that mattered was it was a win.

The Sharks ended a four-game skid Monday night with a 6-3 Atlantic League win over Lehigh Valley, in front of 3,459 fans at Campbell's Field.

Ryan Schurman pitched seven innings of five-hit baseball; he allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, to pick up his eighth win of the year.

"I wasn't happy with some of the defensive mistakes we made, but overall, this was a good effort," Sharks manager Wayne Krenchicki said.

Schurman, who turns 25 today, was in control the whole night and was able to overcome three Shark errors without much damage.

"Tonight we were ready to play," said Schurman, whose 2. 94 ERA remains the best on the team. "You can't worry about errors. We have some good fielders, and when a mistake happens, so be it. You just have to refocus and concentrate to pick them up.

"I had a good curveball and was able to pick my spots with the fastball. I left a couple up, and I would love to have that one double back. Right now, we have to take it one game at a time. Hopefully, some of the other teams in the league will beat Somerset, and we can make some kind of a run."

The Sharks (39-65 overall, 15-27 half) need more than a little bit of help. After a loss to Lehigh in the series opener Sunday, they fell 10 games behind division-leading Somerset with 23 games to play. That said, the Sharks needed a win, and timely hitting helped them get it.

"(Valley starter Rob Mattson) had my number in the Mexican League," Raul Rodarte said. "It did help that I had faced him before."

So much so that Rodarte was the key to a nine-hit attack, as the Camden left fielder went 3-for-4, with a home run and three RBIs. His two-run home run in the second inning gave the Sharks the lead for good 2-0 after two innings. His RBI single in the seventh finished up the scoring.

"I really like it here," said Rodarte, who's hitting . 316 since joining the team nine games ago. "I knew nothing about the league before I came here. I think the talent's a little higher than the other independent leagues I've been in.

"This is a good team. I'm surprised with the record, but we can't worry about that now."

The Sharks still remain in serious contention for second place with Lehigh and Atlantic City in the South Division. The Sharks opened the night a half game behind the Surf and will look to a three-game set with the visiting Surf, starting Wednesday.

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