Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers baseball scored early and often on the way to downing Saint Peter's, 10-1, Tuesday at Bainton Field. The game was called after the top of the seventh due to rain and poor mound conditions.

Redshirt junior Kevin Baxter (Waterford, N.J.) (2-1) tied his career high with seven innings pitched, not allowing an earned run in the 106-pitch outing. The right-hander scattered eight hits and stranded 10 runners on base. It was his 10th career victory and second complete game.

At the plate, the Scarlet Knights (23-22) collected 11 hits and scored in each of the first four innings. Junior Christian Campbell (Sayreville, N.J.) reached base in all five trips with a single, a double and three walks to drive in three runs, while classmate Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) recorded three singles and a walk in four plate appearances. Junior Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) also had a productive game by drawing three walks and hitting a two-run single, as fifth-year senior John Jennings (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) added two extra-base hits.



After Baxter worked a scoreless first, RU sent 10 batters to the plate to score four runs. Senior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) wore a pitch to start and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Campbell then knocked him in with an RBI single to left field. Marcinczyk drew ball four to put two on base for freshman Mike Martinez (West New York, N.J.), who laid down a sacrifice bunt. In the next at bat, sophomore Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.) hit an RBI grounder to third base that was thrown away to allow two runs to score. Jennings capped the outburst with a double to score Freeman.

The Peacocks (8-33) scored an unearned run in the top of the second, but the Scarlet Knights quickly matched it. Campbell and Marcinczyk both walked to begin the rally and moved up on a long fly ball by Martinez. Freeman next collected his second run batted in with a productive grounder.

In the third, Rutgers tacked on three more to take an 8-1 lead. Freshman Luke Bowerbank (Bernardsville, N.J.) doubled and Rosa singled with one out to bring up Devish, who rocketed an RBI single to left. After Campbell walked again, Marcinczyk shot a two-run single through the right side to raise his RBI total to a team-high 41 for the season.

The final two runs of the game crossed in the bottom of the fourth. Bowerbank worked a four-pitch walk with two outs and no one on, with Rosa singling and Devish walking to load the bases. Campbell followed with a two-run double to make it 10-1.

Baxter continued to collect outs from there, finishing the game with nine outs both in the air and on the ground. However, the umpire deemed the conditions unplayable following the top of the seventh to end the ballgame.

For Saint Peter's, Steve Epstein (0-5) was charged with the loss with seven earned runs allowed in a 2.1-inning start. Tommy Toole led the visitor bats with a 3-for-3 performance.

Wrapping up an eight-game homestand at 5-3, Rutgers will next hit the road to face Michigan in a three-game Big Ten series starting Friday. The Saturday contest will be broadcast live by Big Ten Network.

NOTES
The Scarlet Knights added four stolen bases to bring the season total to 99 … the offense has now reached double-digit hits 17 times and scored 10 or more runs on eight occasions … the team drew 10 walks to raise the season total to 206, most in the Big Ten … the game lasted two hours, 14 minutes.

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