PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers baseball team mounted a two-out rally for the second-straight day but fell just short as USF escaped with a series-clinching, 6-4, victory Saturday afternoon in front of a season-high 673 fans at Bainton Field.
Rutgers cut USF's lead to a pair of runs and loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but could not produce another score as the Bulls (20-18, 8-9 BIG EAST) won their second-straight, tight game to take the series from the Scarlet Knights (13-21-1, 5-9 BIG EAST).
USF's Trey Manz led off the third with a ground-rule double and came around to score the Bulls' first run later in the inning.
A one-out single back up the middle from Bulls' DH Stephen Hunt brought in two runs in the fourth to give USF a 3-0 lead.
Back-to-back doubles to the gap in left center field from Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) and Pat Biserta (Point Pleasant, N.J.) gave the Scarlet Knights' their first run of the game, trimming USF's lead to 3-1.
However, the Bulls used five hits in the fifth inning, including a pair of run-scoring doubles from Addison Maruszak and Joey Angelberger, to score three runs in the frame and build a 6-1 lead.
Rutgers capitalized on a USF error in the sixth to bring home two runs and make it 6-3. Freshman Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) stepped to the plate with one out and Jimenez (single) on second, and Tom Edwards (West Caldwell, N.J.) (walk) on third, and hit a ground ball to the shortstop. Matthews, who had beaten the throw to first as Edwards crossed home plate, raced to second when the throw bounced in front of the first baseman and came to a rest in foul territory, allowing Jimenez to come around and score on the play.
With the three-run lead, USF went to its closer, Shawn Sanford for the second-straight day and Rutgers mounted a comeback against the Bulls' hurler for the second-straight day. Sophomore Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) began the two-out rally with a single to center field and Vic Cegles (Phoenix, Ariz.) followed with a double to the gap in right-center field. Senior Donny Callahan (Sparta, N.J.) then hit a grounder up the middle and beat the throw to first for an infield single as Hernandez crossed home. Sanford then walked Betteridge on four pitches to load the bases for Edwards. The Bulls yanked Sanford in favor of lefty David Torcise against the lefty Edwards. Edwards worked the count to 3-1 before popping up to the shortstop, allowing the Bulls to escape with the victory.
USF's Randy Fontanez (3-3) got the win with four strikeouts and three runs (two earned) on six hits seven innings of work, while Rutgers' Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) (0-2) took the loss with six runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings. Senior Matt Patterson (Passaic, N.J.) worked four scoreless innings of relief for RU.
Cegles' double extended his hitting streak to 10 games, while Biserta posted his third, three-hit game in the last five contests.
The Scarlet Knights and Bulls will conclude their series with Sunday's series finale. First pitch has been changed to 11:00 a.m. where Rutgers righty Jason Downey (Ballston Lake. N.Y.) will get the ball against USF righty Derrick Stultz.
