PISCATAWAY, N.J. (March 9, 2011) - Junior Willie Beard (Spotswood, N.J.) struck out seven in seven innings of work and the Rutgers offense produced a season-high 13 runs in a 13-3 victory over the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the 2011 home opener at Bainton Field Wednesday afternoon. The game was called after 7.5 innings due to darkness
The Scarlet Knights (5-5) got production throughout their lineup with seven of nine starters collecting at least one hit in the 12-hit attack. Freshman Brian O'Grady (Warminster, Pa.) led Rutgers with a 3-for-4 day at the plate and three runs scored from the leadoff spot.
Beard struck out seven and walked just one with three runs allowed on six hits in seven innings of work to earn the victory and improve to 1-0 on the season. He retired 10 of 11 batters at one point and allowed just one base runner over his final three innings in the win.
Senior D.J. Anderson (Randolph, N.J.) put Rutgers on the board with an RBI single and junior Russ Hopkins (Piscataway, N.J.) followed with a two-run double down the left-field line to give the Scarlet Knights a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
With runners on the corners in the top half of the second, the Highlanders (2-4) executed a double steal to plate their first run of the contest.
The Scarlet Knights used an RBI single from Steve Zavala (Randolph, N.J.) and capitalized on an NJIT infield throwing error to counter with two runs in the bottom half of the frame and build their lead to 5-1.
NJIT's Matt Weckerle followed a leadoff single in the third from Teddy Bickert with a two-run home run over the right-field fence to cut the lead to 5-3.
That was as close as the Highlanders would get as Rutgers scored the final eight runs of the contest. Sophomore Jeff Melillo (Annandale, N.J.) singled home a run in the fifth off newly-inserted reliever Kyle Burdi.
In the seventh, Rutgers loaded the bases without recording an out on singles from O'Grady and Pat Sweeney (Sparta, N.J.) and a Zavala walk where a Michael Lang (Dumont, N.J.) hit by pitch brought home the first of seven runs in the frame. The Scarlet Knights batted around in the inning with Dan Perrine (Scotch Plains, N.J.) capping off the scoring with a two-run double two-run double to right field to open the 13-3 advantage.
Darkness settled in at Bainton Field and the game was called at the completion of the top of the eighth.
Beard earned the win, while freshman Joe Esposito (Metuchen, N.J.) worked a scoreless eighth in relief for the Scarlet Knights. NJIT starter Tripp Davis (1-2) suffered the loss with four earned runs allowed and five strikeouts in four innings for the Highlanders.
NJIT was victimized by five errors in the contest.
The Scarlet Knights return to action Friday in the Keith LeClair Classic on the campus of East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. RU will open the three-day tournament against Liberty at 1 p.m.
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