NEWARK, DE – The Rutgers University baseball team (29-17) used a seven-run second inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Rich Canuso (Monroe, NJ), and a five-run sixth inning, highlighted by a grand slam from Nick Cerulo (Woodbridge, NJ), to defeat Delaware, 16-5, this afternoon at Hannah Stadium. Sophomore Jeff Grose (Iselin, NJ) led RU with a 3-for-4, 2 BB, 3 RBI performance, while Erik Dial (Basking Ridge, NJ) earned the win in relief with 1.1 shutout innings. Delaware is 28-18.

A solo home run from Jeff Grose (Iselin, NJ) put Rutgers on the board in the first before the Scarlet Knights erupted for seven runs in the second inning. Colin Gaynor (Toms River, NJ) was hit by a pitch to get things started and moved to third on a double to left from Johnny Defendis (Staten Island, NY). Delaware starter Chad Kerfoot then walked Nick Cerulo (Woodbridge, NJ) to load the bases for Tim Querns (Cherry Hill, NJ), who dumped a single into center, driving home Gaynor for a 2-0 lead. With one out, Graig Badger (Union, NJ) worked a bases-loaded walk, while Jeff Frazier (Toms River, NJ) knocked in another before Rich Canuso (Monroe, NJ) cleared the bases with a three-run homerun to left-center, his 8th of the season.

Rutgers added two more in the third, extending its lead to 10-0, when Badger doubled to left-center with two outs and scored on another single from Grose.

RU starter Chris Rini (Flemington, NJ), who extended his shutout streak to eight innings as a starter, was touched for a three-run home run by Steve Van Note in the third and two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Van Note and Dave Harden, which cut the RU lead to 10-5.

Rutgers failed to score in the fourth and fifth, but struck back with five more in the sixth, claiming a 15-5 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, Defendis bounced a tailor-made double play ball to short, but UD’s Todd Davison mishandled the ball, allowing a run to score and all runners to advance safely. Cerulo made Delaware pay dearly, drilling a grand slam to left-center three pitches later.

Rini (4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R) earned a no-decision in his second career start, leaving the game with a 10-5 lead. Dial evened his record at 4-4, while Bobby Acampora (Ocean, NJ), Matt Pustay (Hamilton, NJ) and Tom Malafronte (Somerville, NJ) closed out the game with a scoreless inning each.

The Scarlet Knights return to action on Saturday in South Bend, IN, when they meet Notre Dame for a BIG EAST doubleheader beginning at noon.

                              ** 2004 RUTGERS BASEBALL **
                                  Rutgers at DELAWARE
                      May 13, 2004 at Newark, DE (Hannah Stadium)

Rutgers 16 (29-17)                            DELAWARE 5 (28-18)

Player                      AB  R  H BI       Player                      AB  R  H BI
---------------------------------------       ---------------------------------------
BADGER, Graig 2b...........  4  2  1  2       Graham, Ryan 3b/2b.........  5  1  2  0
 RODRIGUEZ, Cory ph/2b.....  0  1  0  0       Davison, Todd ss...........  4  2  3  0
GROSE, Jeff lf.............  4  2  3  3       Van Note, Steve cf.........  4  1  2  4
FRAZIER, Jeff rf...........  5  1  2  1       Harden, Dave rf............  5  0  1  1
 WILLIAMS, David ph/rf.....  1  0  0  0       Buber, Kelly dh............  5  0  1  0
CANUSO, Rich 1b............  5  2  3  3       McDonnell, Ed lf...........  3  0  0  0
 HOOK, Steve ph/1b.........  1  0  0  0        Hagerich, Bryan ph/lf.....  1  0  1  0
GAYNOR, Colin c............  2  2  0  0       Flynn, Brian c.............  4  0  1  0
 MILLER, Jeff ph/c.........  0  0  0  0       Kozek, Dan 1b..............  4  0  1  0
DEFENDIS, Johnny dh........  6  2  2  0       Donovan, Brock 2b..........  3  1  1  0
CERULO, Nick cf............  3  2  2  4        Rogers, Brent ph/3b.......  1  0  0  0
QUERNS, Tim 3b.............  4  1  1  1       Kerfoot, Chad p............  0  0  0  0
GROVER, Jason ss...........  5  1  0  0        Iannucci, Mike p..........  0  0  0  0
RINI, Chris p..............  0  0  0  0        Chiciak, Mike p...........  0  0  0  0
 DIAL, Erik p..............  0  0  0  0
 ACAMPORA, Bobby p.........  0  0  0  0
 PUSTAY, Matt p............  0  0  0  0
 MALAFRONTE, Tom p.........  0  0  0  0
Totals..................... 40 16 14 14       Totals..................... 39  5 13  5

Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Rutgers............. 172 005 001 - 16 14  0
DELAWARE............ 003 020 000 -  5 13  3
-------------------------------------------

E - Davison 2; Harden. DP - Rutgers 1; DELAWARE 1. LOB - Rutgers 8; DELAWARE 9. 2B -
Badger; Defendis. HR - Grose(2); Canuso(8); Cerulo(5); Van Note. HBP - Gaynor 2. SB
- Van Note.

Rutgers                        IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
RINI, Chris ...............   4.2  7  5  5  2  3   0  0  0  0   20 22   4  6
DIAL, Erik  W,4-4..........   1.1  1  0  0  0  1   0  0  0  0    5  5   2  1
ACAMPORA, Bobby ...........   1.0  1  0  0  0  2   0  0  0  0    4  4   1  0
PUSTAY, Matt ..............   1.0  2  0  0  0  1   0  0  0  0    5  5   1  1
MALAFRONTE, Tom ...........   1.0  2  0  0  0  2   0  0  0  0    5  5   1  0

DELAWARE                       IP  H  R ER BB SO  WP BK HP IBB  AB BF  FO GO
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kerfoot, Chad  L,1-2.......   5.0 10 10  8  3  0   0  0  2  0   23 28   9  3
Iannucci, Mike ............   2.0  2  5  4  2  2   0  0  0  1    9 11   1  3
Chiciak, Mike .............   2.0  2  1  1  4  2   1  0  0  0    8 12   2  2

WP - Chiciak. HBP - by Kerfoot (Gaynor); by Kerfoot (Gaynor).

Strikeouts - Frazier; Williams; Querns; Grover; Davison; Van Note 2; Harden 3;
Flynn; Donovan; Rogers, B.. Walks - Badger; Rodriguez; Grose 2; Gaynor; Miller;
Cerulo 2; Querns; Davison; Van Note.

Umpires -
Start: 3:00 pm   Time: 2:49   Attendance: 150