NORFOLK, Va. – Rutgers baseball rallied to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning, but Old Dominion scored one in the bottom half on an error to take the series opener, 3-2, Friday at the Bud Metheny Complex. The two programs have met on the diamond every season since 1997.
 
"Sloppy game today," head coach Joe Litterio said. "It was cold, bitter, wet and tight throughout. We are going to be in a lot of close games this year, and have to do a better job. Great effort to push across the tying run. But in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, they reach on a misplay at short and a ball that fell in the outfield. Then we made a mistake. We have to clean it up."
 
With Old Dominion (6-2) holding a 2-1 lead with two outs in the top of the ninth, redshirt junior Kevin Blum singled to keep the game alive. He stole his second base of the game and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Redshirt freshman Tim Dezzi put the ball in play to shortstop, with the throw sailing wide to allow Blum to cross as the tying run.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, junior Kyle Gerace (0-1) retired the first two batters before the next two reached to put runners at the corners. Following a pitching change, an errant pickoff permitted the winning run to score.
 
Sophomore Harry Rutkowski made the start on the mound for Rutgers (2-5), pitching six innings with seven strikeouts to match his career high. The left-hander worked past the two runs scoring in the second to keep the team within striking distance and stranded nine runners on base. Gerace relieved with 2.2 innings and the one unearned run charged against.
 
At the plate, junior Tyler McNamara (two singles, one walk) and freshman Chris Brito (two walks, one single) both reached three times.
 
Old Dominion plated two in the second on three hits to take the lead. Rutgers countered with one in the fourth. Junior Kevin Welsh reached on an error, moved up on a sacrifice bunt by senior Luke Bowerbank and scored on an RBI single up the middle by McNamara.
 
From there, Nick Pantos, who struck out eight and did not allow an earned run in six innings for the home team, and Rutkowski dueled to keep the game at 2-1. Hunter Gregory (1-0) threw the last innings out of the bullpen for the Monarchs.
 
UP NEXT
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. Junior Tevin Murray will make the start on the mound for the Scarlet Knights.
 
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