May 7, 2016 Box Score
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Rutgers baseball took the lead for the second-straight night, but Michigan rallied for 13 unanswered runs to claim a 13-1 victory Saturday at the Wilpon Complex. It was the middle game of a three-game series between the teams, being broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Both fifth-year senior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) and junior Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) had two hits for RU (23-24, 6-11) offensively, as freshman Luke Bowerbank (Bernardsville, N.J.) drove in a run. In addition, freshman Mike Martinez (West New York, N.J.) singled, walk and scored a run.
Sophomore John O'Reilly (Northvale, N.J.) (0-5) took the loss after three of his inherited runners came across. The right-hander pitched 4.2 innings with five strikeouts, allowing just three hits. Freshman Dante Scafidi (Washington Township, N.J.) worked two effective frames out of the bullpen.
Defensively, the outfielders made several standout plays early on to prevent runs. In the second, Martinez fired home from centerfield to nail the runner at the plate, picking up his second outfield assist of the season. He would later make an over-the-shoulder grab towards the wall in the fifth for a putout. Later that inning, junior Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) laid out in right-center after a long run to collect the final out of the inning.
Similar to Friday, each side went away scoreless until the Scarlet Knights pushed across a run in the top of the fifth. Martinez worked a walk to start the inning and went to third on a one-out single to center by Rosa. Next up, Bowerbank hit a grounder to second base and beat the throw to first to pick up an RBI.
However, the Wolverines (33-12, 11-5) responded with three runs on a two-out, bases-clearing double to left by Drew Lugbauer in the next half inning. Then the hosts tacked six runs with two outs in the sixth to open up an eight-run advantage, with four more coming in later on. Lugbauer led all players in the game with six RBIs, while Carmen Beneditti had three of the team's 13 hits.
Oliver Jaskie (7-2) earned the win for Michigan with one run and five hits permitted in a seven-inning start.
The series finale is scheduled for Sunday at noon.
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