PISCATAWAY, NJ – An errant throw to first from catcher
Alberto Vasquez (Jersey City, NJ) sailed down into the right-field corner,
setting up an insurance run for Delaware in the seventh, which allowed the
Blue Hens to hold on for a 3-2 win over Rutgers in non-league action today
at the Class of ’53 Complex. Rutgers threatened in the fifth, when Nick
Cerulo (Woodbridge, NJ) led off with a triple and again in the ninth, loading
the bases with one out, but failed to score. With the loss, RU falls to 30-17
while Delaware improves to 21-32.
Rutgers scored a quick run in the first when Graig Badger (Union, NJ) led
off with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on an infield groundout and
scored on a wild pitch. The lead lasted until the third, when Delaware’s
David Harden led off with a single, stole second and scored on a one-out single
by nine-spot hitter Brian Valichka. In the fifth, the Blue Hens added another
run against RU starter Jim Jansen (Pascack Valley, NJ), as Harden led off again
with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a fielder’s choice
by Valichka.
Leading off the bottom of the fifth, Cerulo hammered a triple into the left-centerfield
gap, but was stranded when Ryan Dulaney fought back to strike out the side,
mowing down Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, NJ), Graig Badger (Union, NJ) and
Matt Wolski (Hamilton, NJ) in succession.
The ‘Hens added a run in the seventh when, with two outs, Valichka drew
a seemingly-harmless walk. With Todd Davison at the plate, Valichka extended
his lead far enough to warrant a throw from Vasquez. His throw, however, was
way off mark, sailing wide of first baseman Steve Normane’s (Pt. Pleasant,
NJ) glove, rolling into the right field corner and allowing Valichka to move
to third. After a walk, Brock Donovan singled to right, plating the unearned
run.
In the bottom of the inning, Vasquez and Johnny Defendis (Staten Island, NY)
led off with the seventh with back-to-back singles, but Cerulo and pinch-hitter
Cory Rodriguez (Bridgewater, NJ) went down swinging before Badger drilled a
two-out single up the middle to score Vasquez and cut the lead to 3-2.
Outstanding relief pitching from Matt Pustay (Hamilton, NJ), who entered with
the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth, only to induce a strikeout and double
play to avoid any damage, and Erik Dial (Basking Ridge, NJ), who allowed just
one hit in 2.0 innings, kept the Scarlet Knights in striking distance, setting
up a chance to win in the ninth.
Vasquez led off with a first-pitch groundout, but Defendis singled through
the right side for his second hit of the game, putting the tying run on base.
A pair of walks to Cerulo and Jason Grover (Montgomery, NJ), who took a close
3-2 pitch, loaded the bases for Badger, who had driven in a run in his previous
at bat. Badger swung at the first pitch, hitting a hard one-hopper to Kris
Dufner at third, who then fired home to nail Defendis for the second out of
the inning. Wolski, the team’s top hitter, then popped up to shallow
center to end the game.
Jansen (3-3) allowed two runs in 4.0 innings of work, allowing three hits
and three walks, while striking out three. Pustay gave up just one unearned
run, while Dial pitched two shutout innings. RU mustered just seven hits, led
by Defendis and Badger with two apiece.
** 2003 RUTGERS BASEBALL **
Delaware at Rutgers
May 15, 2003 at Piscataway, NJ (Class of '53 Complex)
Delaware 3 (21-32) Rutgers 2 (30-17)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Davison ss................. 1 0 0 0 BADGER, Graig 2b........... 4 1 2 1
Donovan 2b................. 4 0 1 1 WOLSKI, Matt dh............ 5 0 1 0
Dufner 3b.................. 4 0 0 0 FRAZIER, Jeff rf........... 3 0 0 0
Harden, S 1b............... 4 0 0 0 ESPOSITO, Vinny 3b......... 4 0 0 0
Van Note rf................ 4 0 1 0 NORMANE, Steve 1b.......... 3 0 0 0
Eitelman lf................ 4 0 1 0 VASQUEZ, Alberto c......... 4 1 1 0
Harden, D cf............... 4 2 2 0 DEFENDIS, Johnny lf........ 4 0 2 0
Wimer dh................... 3 0 0 0 CERULO, Nick cf............ 3 0 1 0
Valichka c................. 2 1 1 2 BIONDE, Mike ss............ 2 0 0 0
Michael p.................. 0 0 0 0 RODRIGUEZ, Cory ph........ 1 0 0 0
Dulaney p................. 0 0 0 0 GROVER, Jason ss.......... 0 0 0 0
Garrick p................. 0 0 0 0 MOSKOWITZ, Lee pr......... 0 0 0 0
JANSEN, Jim p.............. 0 0 0 0
PUSTAY, Matt p............ 0 0 0 0
DIAL, Erik p.............. 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 30 3 6 3 Totals..................... 33 2 7 1
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
Delaware............ 001 010 100 - 3 6 1
Rutgers............. 100 000 100 - 2 7 2
-------------------------------------------
E - Michael; VASQUEZ; DEFENDIS. DP - Rutgers 2. LOB - Delaware 5; Rutgers 9. 3B -
CERULO(2). HBP - NORMANE. SB - Harden, D 3; BADGER(33); FRAZIER(7). CS - Van Note;
Valichka; BADGER.
Delaware IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael ................... 4.0 2 1 1 2 3 1 0 1 0 13 16 5 3
Dulaney W,4-1............. 3.0 4 1 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 13 13 3 1
Garrick S,3............... 2.0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 7 9 2 3
Rutgers IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
JANSEN, Jim L,3-3......... 4.0 3 2 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 16 19 6 2
PUSTAY, Matt .............. 3.0 2 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 8 10 3 2
DIAL, Erik ................ 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 6 2 2
WP - Michael. HB - Michael.
Strikeouts - Donovan 2; Van Note; Eitelman; Wimer; BADGER; WOLSKI; ESPOSITO 2;
VASQUEZ; CERULO 2; BIONDE; RODRIGUEZ. Walks - Davison 3; Wimer; Valichka; BADGER;
FRAZIER; CERULO; GROVER.
Umpires -
Start: 3:00 pm Time: 5:16 Attendance: 250
Game: UDEL
JANSEN faced 4 batters in the 5th.
