PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Scoring in five-straight at bats and allowing just one run in seven innings out of the bullpen, Rutgers baseball improved to 4-0 on its spring break trip with a 6-3 Wednesday win over FIU at North Regional Park in Port Charlotte. The Scarlet Knights stand at 9-6 through 15 games for the first time since 2002.
 
Senior Milo Freeman spearheaded the offense by going 3-for-3 with a walk, a home run and two RBIs. Also contributing from the bottom of the lineup, junior Luke Bowerbank finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs, a stolen base and a walk to jump up to 7-for-11 over his last three starts. Senior Kyle Walker extended his hitting streak to 10 games on two more singles, including one RBI to put the Scarlet Knights on top for good in the third inning. He is now 17-for-33 on the season for a .515 batting average, as the third baseman entered the week ranked second in the nation in the category.
 
On the mound, seven pitchers combined to hold the Panthers (9-9), who were fifth in the nation in homers, inside the ballpark with two earned runs permitted. Sophomore Eric Reardon made his second collegiate start and began with two scoreless frames before handing off to freshman Collin Kiernan (2-1) with bases loaded in the third. He limited the jam and picked up his second victory after the team surged ahead right after. Next in, redshirt sophomore Tommy Genuario struck out three in two innings before freshman Jacob Kodros, graduate student Karl Blum and redshirt junior Ryan Wares all posted a zero on the scoreboard. Closing it out, junior Serafino Brito stranded two on in the ninth.
 
The Scarlet Knights scored first for the sixth-straight game with one in the second. With two outs and none on, Bowerbank laced a first-pitch single to left and stole second. Freeman then delivered a ringing double to right-center on full count to pick up an RBI. The Panthers would answer in the third with two runs to take the lead, but Kiernan minimized the damage with a double play with bases loaded.
 
Responding right away, RU rallied in the next half inning with a pair to reclaim the lead. Freshman Mike Nyisztor reached with one out on a hit by pitch and swiped second. He would come home on a double to right-center by junior Nick Matera. Two batters later, Walker extended his hitting streak with a single to right field that gave Rutgers a 3-2 advantage.
 
Then in the fourth, Bowerbank and Freeman both singled to put runners at the corners, with a balk following. Another scored in the fifth when Walker drove a two-out single through the right side with no one on base. He would steal second and cross two batters later on a wild pitch.
 
Freeman lifted his fourth career homer in the sixth to make it five-straight innings with a run. The drive went against a stiff wind in from left field.
 
The bullpen held on from there with a four-run lead. Brito faced bases loaded and no outs in the top of the ninth before rolling a double play and registering a strikeout to seal the victory.
 
Everett Hurst (0-1) took the loss for FIU with three runs permitted in three innings.
 
RU will wrap up its spring break trip with a three-game series at No. 27 Florida Gulf Coast. The first contest is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m.
 
NOTES
Rutgers earned its first win over FIU since 2010 and improved to 16-35 in the all-time series … FIU stranded 11 runners on base and went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position … the Scarlet Knights are 5-2 in games at a neutral site this season ... the offense has produced at least nine hits in 11 of the last 12 games … RU has homered in three-straight games … Matera has reached base in all 15 games this season … the Scarlet Knights stole four bases in as many attempts … the game lasted two hours, 58 minutes … the temperature at first pitch was 68 degrees.


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