Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers baseball scored a season-high seven runs in the first inning on a way to cruising past Saint Peters, 12-3, Tuesday at Bainton Field. The game was called after the top of the fifth due to rain.

With it being the final midweek game on the schedule, the Scarlet Knights improved to a perfect 10-0 in home non-conference contests. RU moved back to .500 at 26-26 overall and 15-4 at Bainton Field. SPU dropped to 9-40 for the campaign.



Junior Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) had a single, double and triple in three trips to the plate for his second three-hit game of the season, also scoring three times with a pair of RBIs. Juniors Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) and Christian Campbell (Sayreville, N.J.) added two RBIs and two hits each, while freshman Jawuan Harris (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) knocked in two. In addition, fifth-year senior John Jennings (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) reached all three times with a single, walk and hit by pitch. Rutgers totaled 11 hits in 21 at bats during the game to go with five walks.

On the mound, senior Kevin Baxter (Waterford, N.J.) (3-1) went all five innings with three hits, three runs and three strikeouts. The right-hander picked up his 11th career victory in his third complete game.

After Baxter worked a 1-2-3 inning to start the game, the Scarlet Knights pounced for seven runs on five hits to take an early commanding lead. Campbell was drilled by a pitch with one out and moved up on a single by fifth-year senior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.). In the next at bat, Marcinczyk attacked the first pitch and laced an RBI double to the right field corner for the first run. Jennings was then struck by a pitched ball to bring up sophomore Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.), who lofted a sacrifice fly to score Suseck. Jennings swiped second, freshman Nick Matera (Roxbury, N.J.) walked and freshman Luke Bowerbank (Bernardville, N.J.) singled to add another. Rosa knocked in the fourth run by beating out an infield single, as the throw went astray to allow Matera to also cross. Harris capped the rally with a two-run single up the middle.

That forced the Peacocks to call the bullpen in relief of losing pitcher Steve Epstein (0-6).

In the third, RU tacked on four runs to go up 11-0. Matera and Bowerbank both walked to start, with Rosa lacing an RBI double. Then following an out, Campbell stepped up and roped a two-run double for his ninth two-bagger of the season. Marcinczyk drove in Campbell two batters later on a two-out single to raise his season RBI total to 45.

Nick Ciocco hit a three-run home run to put Saint Peter's on the board in the fourth, but Rutgers responded with a run in the bottom half. Rosa whacked his first career triple with one down and ran home on a wild pitch.

Baxter sat down the side in the fifth in the rain to make it an official game. However, the umpires deemed conditions unplayable at that point and called action to a conclusion.

The Scarlet Knights will next start their final Big Ten series of the season Thursday at 1 p.m. versus Northwestern at Bainton Field. It will be the first conference meeting between the teams.

NOTES
Rutgers now has three rallies this season of at least seven runs this season … the last time RU scored seven in the first inning was April 6, 2010 versus Princeton … the offense reached double-digit hits for the 20th time and scored 10 or more runs for the ninth time … the last time the Scarlet Knights finished perfect in home midweek games was in 2010 … Harris extended his hitting streak to 13 and has reached in the last 17 games he has played … Baxter beat Saint Peter's for the third time in the last two years … RU improved to 22-2 all-time versus SPU … the game lasted one hour, 27 minutes.

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