BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 16, 2010) – The Rutgers baseball team had its four-game winning streak snapped in a 12-3 loss to Florida Atlantic Tuesday evening at FAU Baseball Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla.
FAU strung together five hits, including three doubles to bring home four runs in the first inning and stake an early advantage.
Rutgers (5-9) and FAU (9-5) traded runs in the second with sophomore Ryan Kapp (Toms River, N.J.) getting the Scarlet Knights on the board with a solo home run in the frame.
A two-run home run by FAU’s Andy Mee in the fourth extended the Owls’ lead to 7-1.
RU threatened in the fifth as Jeff Melillo (North Hunterdon, N.J.) singled and moved over to third with two outs later in the inning, but the Scarlet Knight was stranded 90 feet from home after a fly out ended the frame.
FAU got a run in the bottom half of the fifth on a Mike Spano home run and plated four runs in the sixth off a pair of Rutgers relievers to build its lead to 12-1.
RU scored a pair of runs in the seventh as pinch hitter Charlie Law (Mainland, N.J.) followed a pinch-hit single from Justin Olsen (Westfield, N.J.) with a two-run home, the first of his career.
RU put a man on third in the ninth but couldn’t get him home as FAU sealed the win with a groundout to end the game.
Rutgers starter Kyle Bradley (Howell, N.J.) (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season after surrendering seven earned runs in five innings of work. Despite only working two innings, Taylor Everist (1-3) was credited with the win after posting a strikeout and giving up one run on three hits during his limited start. A trio of Rutgers relievers saw action in the contest with freshman Rob Smorol (Clark, N.J.) and junior Sean Campbell (Trenton, N.J.) combining for three strikeouts and 2.2 scoreless innings.
The catching duo of Melillo and Olsen collected hits in each of their two at-bats in the contest.
Rutgers and FAU will square off again tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at FAU Stadium.
