PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball (6-15) returned home and snapped Stony Brook's (11-8) eight-game winning streak, the second-longest active in the nation, with a 6-5 Tuesday victory at Bainton Field. It was the start of a five-game homestand for the Scarlet Knights after playing 19 of their first 20 games on the road.
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"We are happy to be home and it was great to pick up this win headed into Big Ten play," head coach
Joe Litterio said. "Another tight ballgame. We've been in a bunch of pressure situations lately, which have been great learning experiences. We know it will be like that during the conference season. Hopefully we can build from this win and take the momentum to the weekend."
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RU has now had 10 of its last 12 games decided by three runs or less and improved to 4-4 in one-run contests this season.
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Redshirt freshman
Tim Dezzi went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI doubles at the plate, while freshman
Victor Valderrama connected for a three-run homer, his second long ball, that gave the Scarlet Knights a 6-0 lead in the third inning. Sophomore
Mike Nyisztor reached three times on a single, a double and a walk.
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The pitching staff held the six-run lead and did not permit an earned run in the game, leaving 12 Stony Brook runners on base. Freshman
Jared Bellissimo (1-0) earned his first collegiate win with five shutout innings. The left-hander permitted just two hits in the start, striking out six and walking two. Freshmen
Garrett French and
Parker Scott each collected four outs out of the bullpen. Following up, junior
Eric Reardon preserved the lead in the eighth by picking up a strikeout with inherited runners at the corners in a 6-4 game at the time.
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In the ninth, senior
Serafino Brito registered a strikeout with the tying run at third for collect his seventh career save.
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SCORING
- Rutgers scored in the first inning when Nyisztor hit a first-pitch single, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on an RBI double by Dezzi.
- The Scarlet Knights added five in the third to make it 6-0. Junior Kevin Welsh was hit by a pitch with one out and scored from first on a double off the wall hit by Dezzi. Dezzi then stole third and came home on a sacrifice fly by senior Tyler McNamara. Freshman Chris Brito worked a two-out walk to keep the inning alive and senior Carmen Sclafani was hit by a pitch to bring up Valderrama, who lifted a three-run homer to left.
- Stony Brook plated four unearned runs after two errors in the top of the seventh.
- A run-scoring error prolonged the game in the top of the ninth, allowing the Seawolves to put the tying run at third. However, Brito notched his second strikeout of the inning to close out the game.
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NOTES
- Dezzi and Nyisztor lead the team with eight multiple-hit games this season.
- Rutgers scored first for the eighth time this season.
- Welsh extend his on-base streak to 16 games.
- Rutgers had played its last seven games in Florida, improving to 2-0 at Bainton Field.
- It was the first all-time meeting on the diamond between Rutgers and Stony Brook.
- Nick DeGennaro (0-3) took the loss for the Seawolves, who had 10 hits offensively.
- The game-time temperature was 49 degrees.
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UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights stay at Bainton Field this weekend to open Big Ten play versus Ohio State. The series opener is set for Friday at 2 p.m.
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