WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Fifth-year senior Chris Folinusz came through with a two-out RBI single to break a tie in the top of the eighth inning that sparked Rutgers baseball to a 7-6 victory Tuesday at Monmouth. It was the 19^th win of the season for the Scarlet Knights, which matched last year's total in 20 fewer games played.
 
Four RU (19-14) pitchers combined to allow just one earned run on the day, with redshirt junior Ryan Wares (2-1) breezing through the seventh and eighth innings on just 14 pitches to earn the win. Redshirt sophomore Tommy Genuario worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to record his first collegiate save. Making the start, graduate student Karl Blum did not permit an earned run over four innings. That matched his career-long outing for the fourth time. Junior Serafino Brito followed up with two innings of relief in his 19^th outing.
 
Offensively, Folinusz had two singles with two outs and a runner in scoring position. He owns a team-best 12 multiple-hit games this season and has 17 hits in his last 11 contests. Junior Nick Matera totaled three RBIs, while freshman Mike Nyisztor added two to bring his number to 23. The Scarlet Knights have six players with 20 or more knocked in on the year.
 
With the game deadlocked at six, redshirt freshman Dan DiGeorgio kept the eighth inning alive with a two-out infield single. The shortstop stole second, as junior Tyler McNamara worked a walk on an eight-pitch plate appearance. That brought up Folinusz, who drilled the decisive single to right-center that scored DiGeorgio.
 
Wares, needing just four pitches previously in the seventh, took the mound for the eighth and registered a pair of fly balls and a strikeout to keep the 7-6 advantage. In the ninth, the Hawks generated a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt, but Genuario fanned the next two hitters to lock down the victory.
 
Austin Counsellor (2-2) took the loss for homestanding Monmouth (12-20). Rutgers now leads the all-time series, 29-9.
 
Nyisztor started the game with a 12-pitch walk and later scored on a two-out RBI single through the right side from Folinusz. The Hawks answered with an unearned run, but the Scarlet Knights rallied for five in the second to reclaim the lead. Senior Kyle Walker coaxed a walk to begin the rally, with sophomore Kevin Welsh and junior Luke Bowerbank both singling to load the bases. Nyisztor then lined a two-run double to left field. After DiGeorgio drew ball four, Matera came through with a bases-clearing double to right-center. It was his 10^th double of the year.
 
However, Monmouth scored three unearned runs in their half of the third and later tied it up in the sixth. The ballgame stayed that way until the top of the eighth when Rutgers delivered the final blow.
 
The Scarlet Knights return to Bainton Field Friday to open a three-game series versus Nebraska. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
 
NOTES
Rutgers has scored first in 21-of-33 games … the team is 15-4 this season when scoring six or more runs in a game and 50-13 since 2016 … the offense now has 18 games reaching double-digit hits … RU has 27 stolen bases in its last nine games … junior Jawuan Harris added two steals to bring his career total to 77, eight from tying Doug Alongi (1991-93) for the school record … the Scarlet Knights won a one-run game for the third time … the game-time temperature was 46 degrees with a real feel down in the 30s due to the stiff wind … the game lasted three hours and 25 minutes.


 

BALLGAME! Genuario nails down the save as Rutgers prevails at Monmouth, 7-6. Folinusz with the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth. pic.twitter.com/Ddf9nxv7Mm

— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 17, 2018

Watching @RutgersBaseball at work. @C_Folly17 after his 20th RBI and 3rd steal on the year! Let's go Knights! pic.twitter.com/mzmqvhFy66

— Billy Folinusz (@BFolinusz) April 17, 2018

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