Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers baseball scored four runs to take a two-run lead in the fifth inning, but Michigan State rallied back to claim a 15-7 victory Saturday at Bainton Field. It was the middle game of a Big Ten series.

Down 3-1 entering the last of the fifth, the Scarlet Knights (12-25-1, 5-9) batted around to put together four runs on four hits with an error. Sophomore Mike Carter (Bloomfield, N.J.) led off with a walk and classmate Christian Campbell (Sayreville, N.J.) laid down a sacrifice bunt, as the throw went astray to put runners at second and third. Junior John Jennings (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) then walked to load the bases to force a pitching change. Senior Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.) drove in the first run of the rally with a fielder's choice. Next up, junior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) singled through the left side to tie the game. The affair kept going, as sophomore Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) and freshman Kyle Walker (Piscataway, N.J.) added RBI singles to give RU a 5-3 advantage.

However, the Spartans (21-16, 6-5) responded with a two-out, three-run home run by Brandon Hughes to re-take the lead a half inning later. MSU tacked on nine more in the late innings to break open the game.

Suseck led Rutgers with three RBIs and two hits on the day, with Marcinczyk adding a triple, a single and an RBI. Walker added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to his run-scoring single in the fifth.

Michigan State had five different players hit home runs in a 15-hit attack. Hughes recorded a game-high four RBIs, while Mark Weist drove in three.

In the ninth, the Scarlet Knights picked up two. Freshman Doug deMarrais (Bernardsville, N.J.) walked with one out and redshirt freshman Jeff Anderson (Randolph, N.J.) collected his first career hit to put two aboard. Following an advancing groundout, Suseck drilled a two-run double.

Junior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) (1-6) pitched seven innings and struck out four, but took the loss. The left-hander has logged at least seven frames in four of his past five starts. Anthony Misiewicz (4-3) earned the win for the visitors by working the final 4.2 innings out of the bullpen.

RU will look to salvage the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. with sophomore Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) on the mound. The contest from Bainton Field will be broadcast by BTN Plus and WRSU.

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