CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Rutgers baseball overcame a five-run deficit to capture a 7-5 victory over No. 9 Miami Sunday at Alex Rodriguez Park. The Scarlet Knights scored all their runs in one inning and rode freshman Eric Heatter (1-0), who racked up eight strikeouts in four scoreless innings of relief to earn the win on the mound in his collegiate debut.
 
Fellow freshman left-hander Harry Rutkowski started the game in his first appearance, competing with three earned runs permitted in four frames to keep RU (1-2) within striking distance. Heatter took over in the fifth and struck out the side in his final two innings. That led to graduate student Karl Blum coming on in the ninth to lock down his first career save.
 
For the weekend, the bullpen combined for a 0.59 ERA, surrendering one run in 15.1 innings. The group collected 20 strikeouts.
 
Senior Kyle Walker reached three times to spark the offensive attack on a single, a triple and a walk. Redshirt freshman Dan DiGeorgio also contributed with a pair of singles, as he led the team with four hits in the series.
 
The Hurricanes (2-1) took the early lead with one run in the first and tacked on three in the second and one more in the third. Two of the scores were unearned. However, the Scarlet Knights bounced back with a seven-run outburst in the top of the fourth.
 
Sophomore Kevin Welsh started the surge by slashing a single, with junior Nick Matera and fifth-year senior Chris Folinusz both walking to load the bases. That brought up junior Mike Martinez, who bounced a ball to first base for an RBI that the fielder looked to home, but had to hold on as Welsh slid across. A strikeout followed before Walker smacked a single off the pitcher to bring home Matera. Next up, junior Tyler McNamara put the ball in play for an RBI and an error also permitted another to score. DiGeorgio would then tie the game on a single for his fourth consecutive at bat resulting in a hit. The Scarlet Knights were not done, taking the lead on another booted ball. McNamara and DiGeorgio both ran home on the play to make it 7-5.
 
Rutkowski followed the explosion with a scoreless frame. He would give way to Heatter in the fifth, who worked a perfect inning right away helped by a diving play by Walker down at third base. The sixth was highlighted by a double play when McNamara caught his second runner stealing of the day on the same play as a strikeout.
 
Using a mixture of speeds, Heatter fanned the side in both the seventh and the eighth. The rookie buckled down to strand the tying runs on base to end his outing. Blum worked around a two-out single to nail down the victory.
 
Evan McKendry (0-1) suffered the loss for the Hurricanes.
 
The contest wrapped up a season-opening set against Miami. It was the ninth time in the last 10 seasons the programs met to start a campaign. RU also won the Sunday game last year by the score of 17-6.
 
The Scarlet Knights will return to Florida next weekend for three games at a neutral site in Port Charlotte. That starts Friday at 3 p.m. with a non-conference tilt with Indiana. 

VICTORY! Blum locks down the save & #RBaseball beats No. 9 Miami, 7-5! Heatter picks up the win with eight strikeouts in four scoreless innings of relief. pic.twitter.com/lF6Dl1gyC6

— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) February 18, 2018

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