STORRS, CT - The Rutgers baseball team suffered its first loss in six BIG EAST games, dropping an 11-7 decision to Connecticut Thursday afternoon in the series opener at J.O. Christian Field.
The Huskies (36-16-1, 16-6-1 BIG EAST) jumped on the Scarlet Knights (27-24-1, 13-12 BIG EAST) early with four runs in the first two innings to surge out to a 4-0 advantage.
RU stormed right back, however, as the Scarlet Knights plated three runs in the fifth. Junior Nick Stavrakis (Warren, NJ) led off the inning with a chopper to third base for a single and Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, NJ) was hit by a pitch two batters later to put runners on first and second with one out. Following a strikeout, Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, NJ) rocketed a ball over the right field fence for a three-run home run - his seventh of the season.
Connecticut got one of those runs back with a solo home run by Pat Mahoney in the bottom-half of the frame.
With UConn starter Tim Norton, the BIG EAST's top statistical pitcher, chased out of the game after RU's three-run fifth inning, the Scarlet Knights took advantage of reliever Joe Smeraglino to add to their run total in the sixth. Smeraglino hit the first batter he faced and followed a strikeout with a pair of walks to load the bases. Todd Frazier (Toms River, NJ) knocked in a pair of runs with a single down the left-field line to pull RU within a run at 6-5 and end Smeraglino's brief outing. RU threatened to score more runs as the Scarlet Knights moved runners to second and third on a passed ball, but new Huskie pitcher Ted Garry got Hill to pop out third base in foul territory and Frank Meade (Linden, NJ) to line out to right field to end the inning.
The Huskies matched the Scarlet Knights with two runs in the bottom-half of the sixth to push their lead back to three runs at 8-5, signaling the end of starter Matt Pustay's (Hamilton, NJ) afternoon.
A one-out single by Dave Williams (Franklin, NJ), who has been sidelined since April 26 with a severely sprained ankle, sparked Rutgers in the seventh. Tim Querns (Cherry Hill, NJ) followed with a walk and pinch hitter Vic Cegles (Phoenix, AZ) lined a ball just over the second baseman's head to drive home Williams from second and make it 8-6.
The Huskies opened up a five-run cushion with three doubles and a home run off reliever Mark Lampariello (Annandale, NJ) to plate three runs in the seventh.
Frazier led off the eighth inning with a triple off the wall in right field and Hill drove him home with a sacrifice fly to center field on the next play to make it 11-7, but that was as close as the Scarlet Knights would get, with the Huskies earning the win.
Pustay (3-5) worked 5.2 innings, giving up seven earned runs (eight total) on 15 hits with a pair of strikeouts, while Lampariello surrendered three runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Norton (6-2) earned the win for the Huskies with eight strikeouts, while giving up three runs on four hits in five innings of work.
Connecticut finished the game with 20 hits, marking the most hits given up by the Scarlet Knights in a game all season.
Rutgers and Connecticut will continue their series with a noon game tomorrow at the J.O. Christian Field. Righty Sean Spicer (Pearl River, NY) will get the start for the Scarlet Knights, facing lefty Rich Sirois of Connecticut.
