PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Propelled by a balanced offensive attack, Rutgers baseball cruised to a 13-4 win over St. Bonaventure Saturday at South Regional Park. Eleven different Scarlet Knights contributed to the 17-hit performance in the first meeting between the teams since 1995.
 
On the mound, freshman Harry Rutkowski (1-0) earned his first collegiate win by striking out four hitters in a five-inning start. Following up, classmate Collin Kiernan tossed two scoreless frames in his debut, with sophomore Kyle Gerace working a perfect inning and junior Serafino Brito closing out the game.
 
Sophomore Kevin Welsh paced the lineup with three hits, as redshirt freshman Dan DiGeorgio was not retired with two singles, two RBIs, two runs, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly at the plate. Juniors Jawuan Harris, Nick Matera and Luke Bowerbank also added multiple-hit games and freshman Mike Nyisztor totaled a game-high three RBIs.
 
RU (2-3) picked up 11 of its hits with two outs and finished 9-for-19 with runners in scoring position. Led by three by Harris, the Scarlet Knights picked up six stolen bases in as many attempts.
 
Starting the outbreak in the first, Matera lined a two-out single to center field to keep the inning going and advanced on a wild pitch. Fifth-year senior Chris Folinusz then came through with an RBI single to put the Scarlet Knights ahead. Also moving into scoring position on the play, Folinusz was able to cross on the third-straight hit produced by junior Carmen Sclafani.
 
Rutkowski stranded a runner on second and RU quickly added three more runs in the next half inning. Welsh and junior Tyler McNamara both drew walks, with DiGeorgio laying down a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away to allow a run. Up next, Nyisztor ripped a two-run single up the middle. The lead grew to six in the third when DiGeorgio skied a sacrifice fly to plate Sclafani.
 
The Bonnies (0-2) rallied to plate single tallies in the third and fourth, but the Scarlet Knights posted another crooked number with three more in the fifth. DiGeorgio lined a two-out hit and stole second, running home on a throwing error. Nyisztor would steal second and come in on an RBI single by Harris, who would swipe third and be awarded home on a balk to make it 9-2.
 
McNamara and DiGeorgio both registered RBI singles in the sixth, while Nyisztor added a sacrifice fly in the eighth and Welsh a run-scoring single in the ninth to round out the scoring. Starter Nate Grant (0-1) suffered the loss for St. Bonaventure.
 
The Scarlet Knights will wrap up the weekend in Port Charlotte with a Sunday game against Boston College. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. and freshman Eric Heatter will make his first start.


 
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