Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Displaying resiliency after a ninth-inning defeat Friday night, Rutgers baseball bounced back with a hard-fought 5-4 victory over No. 16 Florida Atlantic Saturday at FAU Baseball Stadium. The win sets up a rubber game in the three-game series, as RU moves to 6-7 for the year and FAU drops to 12-2.

It marked the first win for the Scarlet Knights over a ranked opponent this season and first on the road versus a top-25 team since knocking off then-No. 7 Louisville, 11-2, on March 23, 2014. RU did take a series over then-No. 13 Iowa in the final weekend of the 2015 season at Bainton Field.



On the mound, redshirt junior Kyle Driscoll (Toms River, N.J.) turned in an effective outing with two earned runs and five hits allowed over 5.1 innings. The right-hander struck out a season-high five batters in 94 pitches. Freshman Dante Scafidi (Washington Township, N.J.) (2-0) followed out of the bullpen to a bases-loaded jam, but induced an inning-ending double play to eventually earn his second win of the season. He worked 2.1 innings in the outing. Freshman Kevin Romero (Garfield, N.J.) stranded two runners on base to finish off the eighth, while redshirt junior Max Herrmann (Rutherford, N.J.) collected his second save by retiring three of the four batters he faced in the ninth.

Rutgers reached 10 hits for the fifth time this season, with seven of the nine starters marking the column. Senior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.), fifth-year senior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) and freshman Jawuan Harris (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) all had had two singles, while junior Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) tripled and freshman Carmen Sclafani (Toms River, N.J.) doubled. Five different players knocked in the five runs tallied.

The Owls, previously only beaten once this year, jumped up in the bottom of the first with an RBI triple by Christian Dicks to make it 1-0. The game would stay that score until the fourth inning.

Making his second turn of the day, Marcinczyk started the fourth with his eighth career triple. He came across two batters later on an RBI groundout to third base by sophomore Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.).

The Scarlet Knights took their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth. With one down, Suseck singled and moved to second on a balk. The second out was recorded, but freshman Nick Matera (Roxbury, N.J.) delivered a lined shot to right that fell in, as Suseck raced home just in time for the go-ahead score.

However, FAU responded with one of its own a half inning later. That is when Scafidi entered with bases loaded and provoked a double play to escape further trouble.

RU used that momentum by batting around to build a 5-2 lead in the seventh. Sclafani started off the game-deciding rally with a double to left and freshman Mike Martinez (West New York, N.J.) walked to put two on. A fielder's choice went down as the first out, but Harris singled through the left side to load the bases. Next up, Devish laced an RBI single to put the Scarlet Knights ahead. It was not done there, as Suseck drew a bases-loaded walk and Marcinczyk lifted a sacrifice fly to establish a three-run advantage.

FAU chipped back with two in the seventh, but that turned to be the last scores of the game. In the eighth, Romero left two inherited runners on base with a short pop fly. That led to Herrmann, who earned his sixth career save.

Starter Brandon Rhodes (3-1) took his first loss of the season for the Owls with five runs surrendered over 6.1 innings. Dicks had a game-high three hits, but FAU did strand 10 runners on base.

With the series tied at one, the rubber game is set for Sunday at noon from FAU Baseball Stadium. Sophomore John O'Reilly (Northvale, N.J.) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Scarlet Knights.

NOTES
Marcinczyk has had an RBI in each of the last five games to bring his season total to 15 … the Scarlet Knights snapped a 14-game road losing streak in the state of Florida, all against ranked teams … the offense has now scored 21 runs in the seventh inning, most of any frame and 28 percent of runs scored overall … a save has been earned in five of the six RU wins this season … the defense played errorless baseball for the second-straight game … the game-time temperature was 79 degrees.

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