MIAMI, FL - Florida International scored 11 runs in the first two innings en route to a 16-7 victory over the Rutgers baseball team Saturday afternoon at University Park in Miami, FL.
The Scarlet Knights drop their seventh-straight game, falling to 3-7 on the season. The Golden Knights improve to 12-8.
Rutgers used hits by senior Jeff Grose (Iselin, NJ) and sophomore Todd Frazier (Toms River, NJ) in the first inning to produce the game’s first run. Sophomore Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, NJ), who reached on a fielder’s choice, was caught in a rundown and was eventually tagged for the final out of the inning, but not before Grose scored from third base.
FIU countered with six runs in the bottom of the first inning, aided by a pair of home runs to make it 6-1.
The Scarlet Knights chipped away at the lead with three runs in the second. Senior Steve Hook (Langhorne, PA) led off the inning with his third home run in the past five games, hitting the solo shot to right field. Jason Downey (Ballston Lake, NY) reached base on a one-out walk, moved to second on a single to center field by Tim Querns (Cherry Hill, NJ), advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on freshman Luis Feliz’s (New Brunswick, NJ) single to left field.
The Golden Panthers built an 11-3 advantage with five runs in the bottom of the second inning. They scored five runs in the inning, plating four of those runs with two outs in the frame. RU starter Matt Giannini (Watchung, NJ) made an early exit, lasting 1.2 innings before Jim Jansen (Hillsdale, NJ) came in to get Rutgers out of the second inning.
Rutgers got back two runs in the third inning as Hook doubled down the right field line and advanced on an error, allowing Hill (walk) to score from first. Hook scored on the next play to cut the Golden Panthers’ lead to 11-5.
FIU tacked on a run in the bottom of the third inning and plated three more in the fifth frame to give the Golden Panthers a 15-5 advantage.
After new RU pitcher Mark Lampariello (Annandale, NJ), who worked 2.0 innings for the Scarlet Knights, let up three runs in the fifth, Steve Healing (Brick, NJ) came in to relieve Lampariello. After and FIU hit loaded the bases for the second time in the inning, Healing got Rutgers out of the jam. He got a strikeout and a pair of pop outs to prevent further damage. Healing allowed just two hits in two innings of work.
Pinch hitter Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, NJ) opened the sixth with a single to left field, stole second and came around to score on a Querns single to center field. Edwards finished the day 2-for-3 from the plate with a run and a stolen base, serving as RU’s designated hitter for the final three innings.
FIU, facing the newly-inserted Jon McCue (Hillside, NJ), got another run in the seventh to make it 16-6.
Tony Wargo (New Providence, NJ), RU’s sixth pitcher of the game, worked a perfect eighth for the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers got a run in the ninth, capitalizing on FIU’s second error of the game, allowing Frazier to score.
Giannini (0-3) was saddled with the loss, giving up 11 runs (10 earned) on five hits in a 1.2 innings. Akeem Francis got his first career win for FIU, working 6.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits with five strikeouts after FIU starter Eric Horstmann was pulled after just 2.0 innings with five runs on six hits
Rutgers and FIU will wrap up the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. at University Park in Miami, FL.
2006 Rutgers Baseball
Rutgers at FIU
Mar 11, 2006 at Miami, FL (University Park)
Rutgers 7 (3-7)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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CEGLES, Victor 2b........ 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 1
BIONDE, Mike 2b......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
GROSE, Jeff cf........... 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0
CALLAHAN, Donny cf...... 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0
FRAZIER, Todd ss......... 5 1 2 0 0 0 1 2 3
HILL, Ryan lf............ 3 1 0 0 2 0 3 0 0
HOOK, Steve 1b........... 4 2 2 1 0 1 10 0 1
GOSSARD, Jon ph......... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
STAVRAKIS, Nick dh....... 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
EDWARDS, Tom ph/dh...... 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
DOWNEY, Jason c.......... 2 1 0 0 2 2 3 0 0
QUERNS, Tim 3b........... 3 0 2 1 0 0 1 2 0
SANGEMINO, Vincent pr/3b 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
FELIZ, Luis rf........... 3 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 0
LIVINGSTON, Mike rf..... 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
GIANNINI, Matt p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
JANSEN, Jim p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LAMPARIELLO, Mark p..... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
HEALING, Steve p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MCCUE, Jon p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WARGO, Tony p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals................... 36 7 11 4 6 6 24 9 8
FIU 16 (12-8)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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Pullin, Bryan cf......... 5 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 4
Rey, Chris cf/rf........ 1 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 0
Lopez, Michael 1b........ 4 3 3 0 1 0 7 2 2
Crowell, Kurt ph/1b..... 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
Cadena, Nick 3b.......... 5 3 2 2 1 0 0 0 0
Bautista, Luis dh........ 2 3 1 0 3 0 0 0 0
Clayton, Michael ph..... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
McOwen, James lf/cf...... 6 1 3 3 0 0 0 0 1
Lozano, Corey 2b......... 2 2 2 5 1 0 3 2 0
Barroso, Yosvel ph/2b... 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
Alfonso, Alex ss......... 3 2 1 0 1 0 1 7 1
Marquez, Danny c......... 4 1 0 1 1 1 7 1 0
Dunn, Chris rf........... 3 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0
Mason, DePhillip ph/lf.. 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Horstmann, Eric p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Francis, Akeem p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ramos, Jorge p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals................... 38 16 15 15 8 2 27 13 10
Score by Innings R H E
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Rutgers............. 122 001 001 - 7 11 1
FIU................. 651 030 10X - 16 15 2
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E - FELIZ; Barroso; Dunn. DP - Rutgers 1; FIU 1. LOB - Rutgers 8; FIU 10. 2B
- HOOK; Pullin; Lopez 2. HR - HOOK(3); Cadena; Lozano. HBP - Barroso;
Alfonso, A.; Dunn. SF - Lozano. SB - EDWARDS; Cadena; Lozano; Dunn. CS -
HILL, R..
Rutgers IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
GIANNINI, Matt...... 1.2 5 11 10 5 0 11 17
JANSEN, Jim......... 0.1 1 1 1 2 0 2 5
LAMPARIELLO, Mark... 2.0 5 3 3 1 1 9 11
HEALING, Steve...... 2.0 2 0 0 0 1 8 8
MCCUE, Jon.......... 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 5 6
WARGO, Tony......... 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3
FIU IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Horstmann, Eric..... 2.0 6 5 4 3 1 11 14
Francis, Akeem...... 6.0 5 1 1 1 5 22 23
Ramos, Jorge........ 1.0 0 1 0 2 0 3 5
Win - Francis (1-0). Loss - GIANNINI (0-3). Save - None.
WP - GIANNINI. HBP - by GIANNINI (Alfonso, A.); by JANSEN (Dunn); by MCCUE
(Barroso). PB - Marquez.
Umpires - HP: Shawn Lancaster 1B: Rob Perez 3B: John Lopez
Start: 1:00 Time: 3:18 Attendance: 522
Game notes:
ID-417264
Horstmann faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
JANSEN faced 2 batters in the 3rd.
LAMPARIELLO faced 5 batters in the 5th.
Game: 311FIU
