SOUTH BEND, Ind. (April 9, 2010) – Despite seven combined hits and five runs batted in from three-four hitters Steve Nyisztor (Toms River, N.J.) and Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.), the Rutgers baseball team dropped a 9-8 decision to Notre Dame in the series opener Friday night in front of 1,001 fans at Frank Eck Stadium in South Bend, Ind.
Nyisztor extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a 4-for-5 day at the plate that included two RBI and three runs scored, while Matthews was 3-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. However, the Irish plated two runs in the eighth to take the one-run lead and held off the Scarlet Knights in the ninth to escape with the win.
Rutgers (15-13, 5-2) jumped out an early lead as the Scarlet Knights capitalized on a two-out infield error in the first with Nyisztor reaching base and racing all the way around to score off a Matthews single to the gap in left-center field four pitches later.
RU threatened to add to its lead in the third after loading the bases without recording an out and Matthews, the cleanup hitter, coming to the plate. However, Notre Dame starter Brian Dupra worked out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play ball to prevent any runs.
The Irish (11-17, 2-5) plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third to take the lead, but RU tied it right back up in the top of the fourth with a Dan Betteridge (Sewell, N.J.) home run to right field.
Nyisztor came up in the fifth with runners on second and third and no outs and drove both Scarlet Knights home with a single to center field to break the 2-2 tie. It was the first two scores of a four-run inning that also included singles from Matthews and Jayson Hernandez (Belmar, N.J.) and a sacrifice fly from Jarred Jimenez (Monroe, N.J.) as RU surged out to a 6-2 advantage.
The Irish took advantage of a pair of Scarlet Knight errors and used a pair of doubles to respond with five runs in the bottom half of the fifth take a 7-6 lead.
Nyisztor opened the seventh with a single and Matthews cleared the right-field fence three pitches later to put RU back on top 8-7 in the see-saw battle.
A one-out error and wild pitch in the eighth put an Irish runner in scoring position and both teams went to their bench as senior Kevin Lillis (Fair Haven, N.J.) came into the game for RU and ND brought in pinch hitter David Casey. The Irish tied it up on a Casey RBI single and took the lead on the next pitch with an RBI triple to center field from Adam Norton.
Nyisztor once again led off the inning with a single, this time the ninth frame to put the tying run on base. After a pitching change, Matthews moved Nyisztor into scoring position with a groundout to first base. A second pitching change put in Steven Mazur, who got D.J. Anderson (Randolph, N.J.) out on strikes and Nyisztor was tagged out trying to steal third on the final pitch to end the game.
David Mills, who replaced Dupra in the fifth, earned the win with four innings of relief that included a strikeout and two earned runs allowed. Lillis (0-2) suffered the loss for RU. Mazur, who faced just the one batter, picked up the save. Rutgers starter Jerry Elsing (Montville, N.J.) worked 4.2 innings with two strikeouts.
Rutgers and Notre Dame will continue the series with a 1 p.m. game tomorrow as senior righty Casey Gaynor (Toms River, N.J.) will be on the mound for the Scarlet Knights against sophomore lefty Steve Sabatino for the Irish.
