PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball broke out for nine runs in bottom of the fifth inning on the way to an 11-3 victory over LaSalle in the rubber game of the series Sunday at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights improved to 17-11 on the season and have won six-straight weekend series for the first time since 2010.
 
The lineup bounced back to produce 14 hits on the day, with fifth-year senior Chris Folinusz and freshman Mike Nyisztor each collecting three. Juniors Jawuan Harris, Carmen Sclafani and Luke Bowerbank all added two apiece, while classmate Nick Matera blasted his fourth home run of the season. RU picked up five stolen bases and drew nine walks, including three by sophomore Kevin Welsh.
 
On the mound, sophomore Eric Reardon (1-1) made his first start on the weekend and earned the victory by allowing just one earned run and two hits over a career-high five innings. The left-hander also established a new collegiate best with five strikeouts, stranding five on base to pick up his third victory for the Scarlet Knights. Sophomore Kyle Gerace followed with two scoreless innings, striking out three. Graduate student Karl Blum recorded an out in the eighth and redshirt junior Ryan Wares ended the game retiring five batters. For the three-game series, the Rutgers pitching staff was charged with only three earned runs.
 
The Explorers (8-21) scored first on a sacrifice fly in the second, but Reardon left a runner at third to keep it there. Another came home in the fourth on an error to make it 2-0. The Scarlet Knights countered with one in the bottom of the fourth when Folinusz drilled a leadoff double and later ran to the plate on an RBI grounder by Bowerbank.
 
Reardon dealt a perfect top of the fifth to keep it 2-1 before RU exploded for nine runs on six hits. It was the most runs in an inning since also totaling nine in a 2016 game at George Mason.
 
Nyisztor immediately set the rally into motion by tripling to right-center and scoring on the same play to even the game after the relay throw went astray. Folinusz then singled with one out and motored all the way in on a triple to left-center by Harris that gave the home team the lead. Senior Kyle Walker, who previously extended his on-base streak to 24 games, walked to put runners at the corners, drawing a throw on a steal of second that allowed Harris his first career theft of home.
 
The outburst continued after the second out, as Walker stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Bowerbank eventually ran home on another wild pitch, with redshirt freshman Dan DiGeorgio and Nyisztor each lacing RBI singles. The capper was a mammoth two-run homer to the hill beyond the wall in left field struck by Matera. That made it 10-2.
 
The bullpen held on from there and Folinusz added his third hit of the day with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Colin Kennedy (1-5) suffered the loss with four runs against in a 4.1-inning start. Rutgers has now won 3-of-4 meetings all-time versus La Salle with a 49-6 advantage.
 
The Scarlet Knights will be back in action Wednesday at home versus Lafayette. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.


 

SERIES WIN! #RBaseball explodes for nine runs in the fifth on the way to an 11-3 victory over La Salle. Scarlet Knights have won six-straight weekend series. pic.twitter.com/jItNXiGftB

— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 8, 2018

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