NORFOLK, Va. - The Rutgers baseball team scored four runs each in the fourth and fifth innings and one more in the eighth, while starter Matt Giannini (Long Hill, N.J.) struck out six and allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 6.2 innings of work as the Scarlet Knights defeated Old Dominion 9-5 Friday afternoon at Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. RU moves to 3-1 on the season, while ODU falls to 5-5.
After three scoreless innings, both teams pushed across multiple runs in the fourth. Junior Todd Frazier (Toms River, N.J.) got it started with a leadoff double. Senior Mike Bionde (Pompton Plains, N.J.) then ripped a double down the left-field line to give RU runners on the corners. A Ryan Hill (Hillsdale, N.J.) infield groundout scored Frazier for RU's first run in the frame. A Dave Williams (Franklin, N.J.) sacrifice fly to right field brought Bionde home. Junior Frank Meade (Linden, N.J.) added a third score on a solo home run over the right-field fence. A pair of two-out singles by Tim Querns (Cherry Hill, N.J.) and Nick Stavrakis (Warren, N.J.) put runners on the corners again for the Scarlet Knights and a double-steal scored Querns from third for the final run of the frame.
ODU got two of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning, using two hits and an RU error to make it 4-2.
Freshman Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, N.J.) and Frazier led off the fifth with a pair of singles before Bionde sacrificed them both over. On the next play, a grounder to third base by Hill was handled cleanly but the throw home was wild, allowing both Feliz and Frazier to score and Hill to move over to second. Williams followed with a sharp single to right field and Hill rounded third and headed for home to set up a play at the plate but a bad through by the ODU cutoff man allowed Hill to score and Williams to move all the way over to third. Williams capitalized on a wild pitch in the next at-bat to score the fourth run of the inning.
Old Dominion threatened in the bottom half of the fifth, loading the bases with one out. However, an alert play by Meade, the catcher, picked off the lead runner at third base and Giannini then got Mike Zahm to look at strike through to get out of the inning unscathed.
Giannini remained strong into the seventh inning, getting the first two batters in the frame out. However, ODU loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks and Jake McAloose hit a two-run single up the middle to make it 8-4, ending the starter's day. The Rutgers ace posted six strikeouts in 6.2 innings to improve to 1-1 on the season. He allowed three earned runs (four total) on eight hits. Junior lefty Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) came in and struck out the first batter he faced to end the inning.
RU extended its lead to 9-4 after pinch hitter Jon Gossard (Harrington Park, N.J.) took the second pitch he faced off of Monarch reliever Cory Toth over the right-field fence for a solo home run (his second of the season) in the eighth.
Patterson remained in for the ninth, but was pulled with two outs and the bases loaded after surrendering a run. He struck out three and gave up a run on three hits in two innings of work. Sophomore Tony Wargo (New Providence, N.J.) earned a one-pitch save, getting Tyler Belcher to line out to right field for the final out of the game.
ODU starter Dan Hudson gave up eight runs (six earned) on eight hits and struck out eight in seven innings. McAloose (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and David Burns (2-for-5, 2 RBI) led the Monarchs offensively.
For the third straight game, eight of Rutgers' nine starting hitters recorded a hit.
Rutgers and Old Dominion will continue their series with a 1:00 p.m. game tomorrow. Freshman righty Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) will get the start for the Scarlet Knights against righty Ryan Bergh for the Monarchs.
