| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| Win-Funkhouser (4-1) • Loss-Driscoll (1-2) • Save-None • T-2:50 • A-2,013 • Patterson Stadium |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 21, 2014) - Rutgers baseball dropped its conference opener against No. 7 Louisville, 6-1, Friday at Jim Patterson Stadium. It is the second straight season RU is playing its first league series at UofL.
Senior Nick Favatella (Washington Township, N.J.), who hit .379 in conference play last season, led the Scarlet Knights (7-11, 0-1) with two hits, while last season's BIG EAST batting champion Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.) (.407) reached base three times with two walks and a single. RU had scored at least three runs in the last 14 games entering the night.
Redshirt freshman Kyle Driscoll (Toms River, N.J.) (1-2) took the loss on the mound after pitching five innings, picking up three strikeouts in the outing. Kyle Funkhouser (4-1) earned the win for the Cardinals (16-5, 1-0) with one run permitted over 7.2 innings.
After Rutgers stranded the bases loaded in the top of the first, UofL jumped up to a 3-0 advantage in its first at bat on a three-run double by Jeff Gardner. A single, a walk and a hit by pitch setup the go-ahead rally.
Louisville scored again in the second on two more doubles to make it 4-0. RU got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Zarrillo singled to start the inning and stole second. Senior Lou Clemente (Union, N.J.) then drove an RBI double to the left field corner to plate Zarrillo.
Funkhouser retired 14 batters in a row from there and UofL added two more insurance runs to set the final at 6-1.
Both freshman Ian Riddell (Millburn, N.J.) and senior Slater McCue (Radnor, Pa.) provided effective relief for the Scarlet Knights to keep the game within striking distance. However, Kyle McGrath worked the last 1.1 frames without allowing a run to seal the win for Louisville.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
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