Box Score

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - In what turned into a Friday night pitcher's duel, Rutgers baseball dropped the opener of its series against Old Dominion, 3-0. The game last two hours, seven minutes and was played at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with the Monarchs serving as the home team.

Junior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) (0-1) took a hard-luck defeat on the mound for the Scarlet Knights despite allowing just two runs over 6.2 innings. The left-hander struck out six and scattered four hits in the 103-pitch outing. Sophomore lefty Max Herrmann (Rutherford, N.J.) followed with 1.1 innings out of the bullpen.

For Old Dominion (1-3), Greg Tomchick (1-0) earned the win with eight strikeouts over five innings of work. Thomas Busbice tossed the final 2.1 frames to collect the save.

Each starter worked a quick first inning before ODU struck first with a solo home run by Nick Walker to left field on the first pitch of the bottom of the second. It was the first long ball surrendered by Brey in 88.1 innings of work dating back to 2013. However, Brey settled in and had a stretch of retiring 15 of 18 batters to work through the sixth.

RU (0-5) had its best offensive chance in the seventh inning when senior Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.) lashed a double down the left field line and eventually moved up to third on a wild pitch with one out. Yet he was stranded there as the tying run after a groundout and strikeout ended the frame.

ODU tacked on runs in both the seventh and eighth to extend its lead to 3-0 and Busbice retired all seven hitters faced to close the game.

The Scarlet Knights will look to bounce back in game two of the series set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Junior Mark McCoy (Barnegat, N.J.) will make his second start.

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