Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Rutgers baseball took an early lead, but Florida Atlantic answered back to take a Tuesday midweek game, 14-2, at FAU Baseball Stadium. It was the third-straight season the Scarlet Knights and Owls met on the diamond.

The Scarlet Knights (6-10) scored first for the ninth time this season with a run in the top of the second. Sophomore Nick Matera crushed the first pitch of the inning off the wall in left-center for a leadoff double, scoring two batters later on an RBI single by junior Milo Freeman.

Freshman Eric Reardon, who made his first collegiate start, kept the 1-0 lead with a 1-2-3 second, but Pedro Pages hit a two-run home run to give FAU (11-5-1) a 2-1 advantage in the in the third. However, RU quickly tied it in the next inning. Senior Christian Campbell worked a leadoff walk and ran to third when classmate Mike Carter laid down a bunt single that was errantly flipped away. Matera next lifted a sacrifice fly to knot the game at two.

From there, Florida Atlantic built up a six-run lead on an unearned run in the fourth and a five-run rally that included five hits in the fifth that make it 8-2. The home team would also score in the sixth and seventh innings.

Sean Labsan (1-0) earned the win for Florida Atlantic with one earned run permitted in a five-inning start. The Owls collected 11 hits at the plate, with Pages recording five RBIs.

Reardon (1-1) worked three-plus innings with two earned runs allowed and two strikeouts. Sophomore Dante Scafidi struck out four in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen, while fifth-year senior Max Herrmann struck out two in a perfect inning of relief.

Carter had two hits to lead RU and has now reached base safely in the last 18 games dating back to last year.

Rutgers will next head to Fort Myers, Florida, for a three-game series starting Friday at No. 21 Florida Gulf Coast. It will be the final leg of an eight-game spring break trip.

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