PISCATAWAY, NJ – Holding a 3-2 lead, Rutgers exploded
for eight runs in the sixth inning to roll past Iona, 11-2, in non-league baseball
action today at the Class of ’53 Baseball Complex. Freshman Mike Bionde
(Pompton Plains, NJ) delivered a two-run double and Jeff Frazier (Toms River,
NJ) capped the inning with a mammoth, three-run home run to back the pitching
effort of Aaron Kalb (Middletown, NJ), who allowed just four hits and two runs
in 7.0 innings, striking out a career-high 11 hitters. Kalb’s 11 strikeouts
were the most for a Rutgers pitcher since Bobby Brownlie fanned 11 Seton Hall
batters on May 11, 2001 in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament With
the win, RU’s fifth in a row, the team improves to 17-14 overall. Iona
is 11-17.
Rutgers scored a single run in the first when Graig Badger (Union, NJ) walked
to open the inning, moved to second on a single to left by Jeff Grose (Iselin,
NJ) and scored on a one-out single by Vinny Esposito (Middletown, NJ). The
Gaels, however, tied it in the top of the second, stringing together a single
and two-out double.
Rutgers plated two more in the third, to take a 3-1 lead, when Grose reached
on an infield error and scored on a scorched double down the left-field line
by Frazier. A groundout to first from Esposito moved Frazier along to third
base and he promptly scored on a crisp single to center from Matt Wolski (Hamilton,
NJ).
Kalb, meanwhile, was rolling through the middle innings. He allowed just a
single in the third, striking out two hitters and then struck out two more
in the fourth and fifth innings to hold the 3-1 advantage. After recording
back-to-back strikeouts to open the sixth, running his string to six of the
previous eight hitters (including four in a row), Mike Fortner drove a fastball
over the fence in centerfield and suddenly, the Gaels were back in the game
at 3-2, but they weren’t in striking distance for very long.
A ground-rule double to left-center by Steve Normane (Pt. Pleasant, NJ) got
things moving to open the sixth. He scored when the next hitter, Colin Gaynor
(Toms River, NJ), sliced a single down the line in right. Johnny Defendis (Staten
Island, NY) then attempted to sacrifice Gaynor into scoring position, but an
errant throw allowed Defendis to reach base. Bionde then smacked a double into
the right-center gap, plating Gaynor and Defendis for a 6-2 lead.
Badger followed with a bunt single that rolled to a stop along the third-base
line, putting runners at the corners. After a pitching change, Grose kept the
onslaught going with a single to center, scoring Bionde, before Frazier unloaded
for a without-doubt home run down the left field line, scoring three more runs.
Esposito followed with a walk, the eighth-straight batter to reach base, and
Wolski singled sharply to right field, extending the string to nine. With runners
at the corners, Normane hit into a force play, driving in Esposito, before
the scoring came to an end.
Kalb worked a 1-2-3 seventh, picking up his 11th strikeout, before Erik Dial
(Basking Ridge, NJ) and OJ DeChristofano (Pequannock, NJ) closed out the game
with a scoreless inning of relief. Frazier (3-for-4, 4 RBI) led the 14-hit
attack.
Rutgers will return to action on Thursday, when it hosts Pace at 3:30 p.m.
Sophomore Tom Malafronte (Somerville, NJ) will start on the mound.
** 2003 RUTGERS BASEBALL **
Iona at Rutgers
4/22/03 at Piscataway, NJ (Class of '53 Complex)
Iona 2 (11-17) Rutgers 11 (17-14)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Sorhaindo cf............... 4 0 0 0 BADGER, Graig 2b........... 4 2 1 0
Kump dh.................... 3 0 0 0 GROSE, Jeff lf............. 4 2 2 1
Taylor ph................. 0 0 0 0 SHADE, Leon ph/lf......... 1 0 0 0
Garcia ss.................. 4 0 1 0 FRAZIER, Jeff rf........... 4 2 3 4
Fortner rf................. 4 1 1 1 ROSARIO, Jamell rf........ 1 0 0 0
Motte c.................... 4 1 1 0 ESPOSITO, Vinny 3b......... 3 1 1 1
Peronne 1b................. 3 0 0 0 RODRIGUEZ, Cory ph/3b..... 1 0 1 0
Bucci 1b.................. 1 0 0 0 WOLSKI, Matt dh............ 4 0 1 1
Michitsch 3b............... 3 0 1 1 HOOK, Steve ph/dh......... 0 0 0 0
Callahan 3b............... 1 0 1 0 NORMANE, Steve 1b.......... 5 1 2 1
Potocki 2b................. 3 0 0 0 GAYNOR, Colin c............ 4 1 2 1
Sallustio lf............... 3 0 1 0 MOSKOWITZ, Lee c.......... 1 0 0 0
Kramer p................... 0 0 0 0 DEFENDIS, Johnny cf........ 3 1 0 0
Lopez p................... 0 0 0 0 BIONDE, Mike ss............ 3 1 1 2
Sullivan p................ 0 0 0 0 GROVER, Jason ph/ss....... 1 0 0 0
Prevete p................. 0 0 0 0 KALB, Aaron p.............. 0 0 0 0
DIAL, Erik p.............. 0 0 0 0
DECHRISTOFANO, OJ p....... 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 33 2 6 2 Totals..................... 39 11 14 11
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Iona................ 010 001 000 - 2 6 5
Rutgers............. 102 008 00X - 11 14 0
-------------------------------------------
E - Motte; Peronne; Potocki; Kramer 2. DP - Iona 2. LOB - Iona 6; Rutgers 8. 2B -
Michitsch(3); FRAZIER(10); NORMANE(8); BIONDE(1). HR - Fortner(4); FRAZIER(3). HBP -
HOOK. SH - DEFENDIS. SB - BADGER(20).
Iona IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kramer L,1-2.............. 5.0 11 8 6 1 3 1 0 0 0 26 28 5 5
Lopez ..................... 1.0 2 3 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 6 7 2 1
Sullivan .................. 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 2
Prevete ................... 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 5 2 1
Rutgers IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
KALB, Aaron W,2-1......... 7.0 4 2 2 1 11 0 0 0 0 25 26 3 7
DIAL, Erik ................ 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 4 5 2 1
DECHRISTOFANO, OJ ......... 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 2 1
WP - Kramer; Lopez; DIAL. HB - Prevete.
Strikeouts - Sorhaindo; Kump 3; Garcia; Fortner; Motte; Peronne 2; Michitsch;
Sallustio; ESPOSITO; DEFENDIS; BIONDE. Walks - Taylor; Potocki; BADGER; ESPOSITO.
Umpires -
Start: 3:00 Time: 5:20 Attendance: 72
Game: IONA
Kramer faced 5 batters in the 6th.
