Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Freshman Kyle Walker (Piscataway, N.J.) blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Rutgers baseball a 4-2 walk-off victory over Ohio State Saturday at Bainton Field. It was the first home Big Ten win for the Scarlet Knights, as the series with the Buckeyes is now tied at one.

RU (8-15) has won five of its last six games and improved to 3-2 in league play. OSU dropped to 17-7 and 3-2.

Down 2-1 entering the home half of the ninth, Rutgers started its rally with one out when junior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) drilled a double to the left field corner. Sophomore Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) entered as a pinch-runner and junior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) walked to put two aboard. Next up, Walker worked the count to 1-1 before lifting an off-speed pitch over the wall in right, securing the win in thrilling fashion. It was the first career long ball for the freshman and his first hit in a Big Ten game.

Despite a no-decision, junior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) put the Scarlet Knights in position with 7.1 innings of scoreless baseball on the mound. The left-hander allowed five hits and five walks, but worked out of jams to strand 10 Ohio State runners on base. He has now permitted just one run over 14.1 innings in two Big Ten starts.

A pitcher's duel developed early between Brey and Buckeye starter Travis Lakins. Neither side flinched until sophomore Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) reached on a three-base error on a dropped fly ball in the outfield and scored on an RBI grounder by Suseck in the bottom of the fourth.

That unearned run would stand through the middle innings, including in the top of the fifth when Ohio State put two on with no outs. Devish caught a runner attempting to steal third for the first out and Brey recorded two fly balls to end the threat. In the sixth, the visitors had two on with one out, but a fielder's choice to third base on a bunt and a running grab deep in foul territory by senior Joe D'Annunzio (Scotch Plains, N.J.) from first base quelled the situation.

Brey picked up his fourth strikeout of the game to start the eighth, but left after having logged 119 pitches on the day. The Buckeyes then rallied for two singles and tied the game on a safety squeeze. With one out, Jordan McDonough lifted a sacrifice fly to score pinch-runner Tre' Gantt from second to put Ohio State ahead at 2-1.

Senior Jon Young (Old Bridge, N.J.) (1-0) worked around two hits and a walk in the ninth to keep it a one-run deficit, earning the win after Walker's heroics. He recorded two strikeouts.

Trace Dempsey (3-1) took the loss for the Buckeyes after surrendering the walk-off homer, as Lakins did not get a decision after not giving up an earned run over six innings. Ohio State had nine hits in the game compared to Rutgers' five.

The rubber game of the series is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. from Bainton Field. Rosa will make the start on the mound for the Scarlet Knights after picking up his first victory of the season last week at Purdue. The contest will be broadcast live on BTN Plus and WRSU.



NOTES
It was the first walk-off homer run for Rutgers since Brian O'Grady slugged one to beat Temple on May 2, 2014 ... Marcinczyk has reached base in the last 17 games ... Devish threw out two runners stealing and the defense recorded another on an attempted double steal at home plate ... the five hits were the least recorded in an RU win this year ... D'Annunzio now has 10 career triples, tied for 10th in school history ... Ohio State totaled 13 left on base for the day and lost for the first time this year when facing a left-handed starter (8-1) ... RU played errorless baseball in the field for the eighth time in 2015 ... the game lasted two hours, 41 minutes.

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