PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball scored eight runs in the bottom of the seventh to break a 7-7 tie on the way to beating 13^th-ranked and first-place Michigan, 15-9, in the Friday series opener at Bainton Field. The 15 runs scored were the most by the Scarlet Knights in a Big Ten game since joining the conference in 2015.
 
The victory propelled RU to 11-5 at Bainton Field this season, 19-4 when scoring six or more runs, 7-9 in the Big Ten and 24-18 overall. It was Rutgers' fourth win this season against an opponent appearing the national polls. UM dropped to 27-14 and 12-3 in the league.
 
Fifth-year senior Chris Folinusz sparked the offensive attack by finishing with four hits and five RBIs, both career highs. He leads the lineup with 16 multiple-hit games this season. Redshirt sophomore Kevin Blum had a productive trip each time with two walks, a double, a single and a sacrifice bunt, while junior Jawuan Harris was also on base four times, hitting two doubles, drawing two walks and scoring four times. He joined classmates Nick Matera and Carmen Sclafani with two RBIs. In addition, Rutgers drew a season-high 11 walks at the plate and went 7-for-22 with runners in scoring position.
 
On the mound, senior John O'Reilly left with the lead in a 6.1-inning start. The right-hander struck out four. Following up, redshirt sophomore Tommy Genuario (4-0) was credited with the win by working 1.2 innings out of the bullpen. Junior Serafino Brito closed out the ballgame by pitching the ninth in his team-leading 23rd appearance.
 
After the Wolverines connected for a two-out, two-run triple to square the game in the top of the seventh, the Scarlet Knights immediately responded by sending 12 batters to the plate to score eight runs on three hits and six walks.
 
Folinusz ripped the first pitch of the rally up the middle for a single and senior Kyle Walker came up as a pinch hitter to walk. Sophomore Kevin Welsh drew his third walk of the day and the bases were loaded. Following a pitching change, Blum earned a walk on a full count to push across the go-ahead run. A force out at home went as the first out, but redshirt freshman Dan DiGeorgio, who has a 10-game hitting streak, connected for an RBI single to make it 9-7. Matera, Sclafani and Harris all eyed RBI walks to keep the line moving. Folinusz came up again and broke it open by lining a two-run single to right field. The frame was capped by an RBI groundout from junior Luke Bowerbank. Rutgers has now had six rallies of at least seven runs this season.
 
Genuario and Brito combined to keep the lead from there. The all-time series between RU and UM is now even at five.
 
The scoring started in the first inning when the Wolverines connected for a pair of long balls to take a quick 3-0 lead. In the bottom half, the Scarlet Knights answered with three runs with two outs. Matera started with a single, with Sclafani, Harris and Folinusz all following with RBI doubles to even the game. RU is up to 106 RBIs with two down this season.
 
No one touched the plate in the second, but the visitors used a sacrifice fly to reclaim the lead in the third. The rally was cut short after RU executed an 8-6-3-4-3 rundown to end the inning. Right after, Matera drew a walk and Harris doubled with one out to put two in scoring position. Folinusz brought them both home on a two-run single to put the Scarlet Knights ahead for the first time.
 
It stayed that way until the fifth when Dominic Clementi hit a solo homer to tie it up at five. In the bottom half, Harris scored on a passed ball and Matera lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth to make it 7-5. Michigan would match those runs, but Rutgers had the decisive blow in the seventh.
 
Jeff Criswell (3-2) suffered the loss for the visitors with three runs against. The Wolverines were charged with a season-high 14 earned runs, having entered the weekend ranked No. 19 nationally with a 3.25 ERA.
 
Game two of the series is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday. Freshman Harry Rutkowski will make the start for the Scarlet Knights.
 
NOTES
Head coach Joe Litterio is now in sole possession of third place in RU wins with 119 as skipper … DiGeorgio stole a base to make it 76 as a team, ninth-most in a season in school history … the game lasted three hours, 39 minutes … the temperature at first pitch was 82 degrees.
 

15 runs on the board today! Great start to the weekend. #RBaseball @RVisionRU pic.twitter.com/Loje3zzw5M

— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) May 5, 2018

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