Box Score

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Rutgers baseball scored four in the first inning and held on late to beat Old Dominion, 13-9, in the series finale Sunday at the Ripken Experience. Junior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) cracked his first collegiate home run to highlight a balanced offensive attack.

It was the first win for the program representing the Big Ten Conference.

The Scarlet Knights (1-6) totaled season highs with 11 hits on 13 runs, while also drawing 13 walks. Senior Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.) led RU with three hits, while sophomores Christian Campbell (Sayreville, N.J.) and Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) each had two. Marcinczyk also joined Suseck with three RBIs on the day.

Sophomore Kyle Driscoll (Toms River, N.J.) was sharp on the mound in his second start of the season, allowing no earned runs over four innings. The right-hander permitted three hits and struck out five in the 79-pitch outing. Classmate Max Herrmann (Rutherford, N.J.) (1-1) earned the win with one inning of pressure relief, stranding the potential tying run at third in the eighth inning. Senior Jon Young (Old Bridge, N.J.) worked the ninth to secure Rutgers' first victory of the season.

RU quickly jumped ahead with four runs in the top of the first. Senior Joe D'Annunzio (Scotch Plains, N.J.) drew a walk on a full count to start the rally and moved up one base on a single by Zarrillo. Marcinczyk next drilled an RBI single through the right side to score D'Annunzio and move Zarrillo to third. Continuing the attack, Campbell laced a two-run double to the right-center gap to make it 3-0. The inning was capped when Campbell moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a productive grounder by Suseck.

Driscoll kept the lead at four until the offense was able to tack on another in the third. Zarrillo connected for a leadoff double to right and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With the infield back, Marcinczyk rolled an RBI grounder to first to plate Zarrillo.

After ODU (2-4) made a pitching change in the fourth, Rutgers expanded its advantage to 7-0. Sophomore TJ Perkowski (South Brunswick, N.J.) drew a walk as a pinch hitter to start the frame and stole second with one out. Junior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) and sophomore Mike Carter (Bloomfield, N.J.) both walked to load the bases, with D'Annunzio bringing in Perkowski on a fielder's choice. Devish eventually came in unearned on a muffed throw to third on a pickoff attempt.

The Monarchs chipped back with single runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth. However, Suseck padded the lead with a two-run shot the opposite way in the seventh. Marcinczyk had previously doubled in the frame.

Old Dominion responded with three runs in both the seventh and eighth inning to make it a 9-8 game and brought the tying run to third with one out. Herrmann, though, quelled the rally by notching a pair of swinging strikeouts to keep the lead.

From there, RU added four insurance runs in the top of the ninth, sending 10 batters to the plate. Suseck started the affair with a walk and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.). Junior John Jennings (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) then drove an RBI single down the right field line. After a fly out, Carter worked his third walk of the game and D'Annunzio followed with another to load the bases. Zarrillo next hit a sharp unplayable grounder to the shortstop hole to score Jennings and Marcinczyk was hit by pitch to bring in Carter.

Old Dominion finished the scoring with one run in the ninth, but Young prevented further trouble and ended the game with a comebacker.

Nick Hartman (0-1) took the loss, as ODU used six different pitchers in the game. It was the 19th consecutive season the Scarlet Knights and Monarchs met on the diamond.

Weather permitting, Rutgers will attempt to play its home opener Wednesday at 3 p.m. versus Fairleigh Dickinson. WRSU will have live radio coverage from Bainton Field.



NOTES
Rutgers reached double-digit runs eight times last season, going 7-1 in those contests ... the last time the offense totaled at least 10 was a 10-0 shutout win over USF in the opener of the 2014 conference tournament ... eight of the nine starters scored a run ... the last time RU drew 13 walks in a game was April 3, 2012 in win over Princeton ... the game lasted three hours, 29 minutes - the longest of the early season ... Driscoll has had at least as many strikeouts as innings pitched in eight of 12 career starts ... the three starting pitchers combined to work 16.1 innings with only two earned runs allowed (1.10 ERA) in the series ... volunteer assistant coach Lou Clemente earned his first collegiate victory on the coaching staff ... the game-time temperature was 45 degrees with rain falling at times throughout the afternoon.

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