May 6, 2016 Box Score
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Rutgers baseball had its five-game Friday winning streak snapped with a 14-1 road loss against No. 21 Michigan at the Wilpon Complex. It was the first Big Ten game between the Scarlet Knights and the Wolverines.
After each side went down scoreless in first four innings, the Scarlet Knights (23-23, 6-10) broke the seal with a run in the fifth. With two outs and senior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) at third and junior Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) at first, Marcinczyk darted off first to draw the attention of the pitcher. He stepped off and threw to second to initiate a rundown. As the throws went back-and-forth, Devish waited for the right moment and dashed to home, beating the relay toss from third base for a steal of the plate.
However, RU's lead was short-lived after UM (32-12, 11-5) rallied for seven runs on six hits in the fifth to build a 7-1 advantage. The Wolverines added seven more unanswered scores in the next two innings.
Senior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) (5-4) suffered his first loss in six starts, working four scoreless innings before allowing runs in the fifth. Senior Reed Shuttle (Lansdale, Pa.), freshman Kevin Romero (Garfield, N.J.) and junior Colin Bohnert (West Caldwell, N.J.) followed out of the bullpen.
At the plate, Rutgers totaled eight hits with Devish, fifth-year senior John Jennings (Berkeley Heights, N.J.), freshman Luke Bowerbank (Bernardsville, N.J.) recording two apiece. Freshman Tyler McNamara (East Brunswick, N.J.) collected his first collegiate hit in the ninth inning. The double steal with Devish and Marcinczyk put the team at 101 stolen bases for the season, five shy of the program record set in 1991.
Brett Adcock (6-3) picked up the win for the hosts with one run and five hits permitted in a six-inning start, striking out 11 hitters. Michigan totaled 13 hits offensively, as Drew Lugbauer had three hits and Harrison Wenson hit a grand slam.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network. Sophomore John O'Reilly (Northvale, N.J.) will make the start on the mound for Rutgers.
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