Feb. 18, 2017 Box Score
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Sophomore Jawuan Harris homered twice for Rutgers baseball in an 8-4 defeat to No. 17 Miami Saturday at Alex Rodriguez Park. It was the middle game of a three-game series to start the season.
Harris, who owns a 22-game on-base streak dating back to last season, crushed baseballs over the fence in both the third and ninth innings for his first multiple-home run game. The outfielder now has five career long balls.
On the mound, sophomore Serafino Brito (0-1) delivered an effective start in his season debut. The right-hander pitched six innings with four strikeouts and no walks allowed. Surrendering six hits and four runs, he retired the side in order in four different frames.
Senior Christian Campbell joined Harris with a multiple-hit game with a pair of singles and an RBI. Harris added a single to the two homers to finish 3-for-5 with three knocked in, while Chris Folinusz reached twice on a pair of walks. The Scarlet Knights out-hit the Hurricanes in the game, 9-8.
Rutgers (0-2) took its first lead of the series with runs in the third. Harris jolted a blast to center to make it 1-0, with senior Mike Carter immediately following with a bunt single that also included a two-base error. Campbell next stepped up and delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0.
However, the Hurricanes (2-0) responded with three runs on four hits in the next half inning. Insurance runs would follow with one in the sixth and two in both the seventh and eighth.
Rutgers threatened down 6-2 in the top of the eighth after Campbell and senior Tom Marcinczyk both singled to start the inning. A double play ball and groundout ended the inning.
Then in the ninth, sophomore Luke Bowerbank walked and Harris crushed his second homer to left-center to make it 8-4. It was the first multiple-homer game for a Scarlet Knight since Mike Martinez against Monmouth last year.
Left-hander Jeb Bargfeldt (1-0) picked up the win for the home team after tossing 5.2 innings with five strikeouts. Michael Burns had three RBIs at the plate.
For Rutgers, freshman Kyle Gerace made his collegiate debut and struck out the only hitter he faced.
The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. Sophomore James Torres is scheduled to make his first collegiate start on the mound.
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