Rutgers
13-19, 5-4
Michigan State
8-25, 0-8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Rutgers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 8 | 10 | 1 |
Baseball Blanks Michigan State to Complete Sweep
Apr 14 | Baseball
Murray strikes out nine as Scarlet Knights pitch a one-hitter
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"We did everything well this weekend," head coach Joe Litterio said. "We had a great start on the mound each day, played solid defense and came through with timely hits. The team played with great confidence."
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Junior Tevin Murray earned the win with a career-high nine strikeouts over six innings. The left-hander started the outing with 5.2 hitless innings before the Spartans recorded a double for their only hit of the day. All three RU starting pitchers went six frames this weekend with a combined three earned runs permitted for a 1.50 ERA.
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"Tevin filled up the zone today," Litterio said. "He's tough to see and tough to hit. He kept them off balance all day."
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Freshman Garrett French, junior Steven Acosta and senior Serafino Brito all dealt a perfect inning of relief to close out the victory. Acosta and Brito appeared in all three games against MSU, combining to allow one run in 6.1 innings.
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Offensively, the Scarlet Knights posted three in the second, four in the fourth and another in the seventh for the eight runs. Sophomore Mike Nyisztor went 3-for-4 with a walk to spark the lineup as the leadoff hitter, while senior Tyler McNamara had two hits and two RBIs. The hitters totaled 10 hits and walked eight times.
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"Sweeping a Big Ten team just tells us that we can do it," Litterio said. "We have to keep getting better, it's a process. We played solid baseball this weekend and to get the sweep is a first. We don't want it to be the last. There's a long way to go."
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SCORING
- The Scarlet Knights rallied for three runs in the second to take the lead. Freshman Victor Valderrama drew a full-count walk to start the inning, with senior Luke Bowerbank singling on a hit-and-run to put runners at the corners. After a strikeout, junior Kevin Blum hit a double to make it five RBIs in his last four games. Nyisztor and junior Kevin Welsh both walked to force in a second run and coerce a Michigan State pitching change. Redshirt freshman Tim Dezzi lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
- In the fourth, Rutgers added four more runs to expand it to a seven-run lead. Nyisztor hit a one-out bunt single, stole second, Welsh walked and Dezzi walked to load the bases. McNamara then connected for a two-run single through the left side. Valderrama would later knock in another on an error, as Bowerbank hit a run-scoring fly ball.
- Senior Carmen Sclafani, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, struck a pinch-hit double in the seventh, with junior Anthony Greco crossing on a pair of wild pitches as a pinch runner.
NOTES
- Rutgers last swept a league series in the American Athletic Conference against USF from May 9-11, 2014 at Bainton Field. The team did sweep Army last season over spring break in a non-conference set.
- Rutgers has won five games in a row for the first time since taking the first six to start the spring break trip last season.
- Rutgers last pitched a one-hitter on May 4, 2004 when Chris Rini (six innings) and OJ DeChristofano (three innings) combined to beat Lafayette, 1-0.
- Rutgers is now is 5-1 against Michigan State in the last six meetings after losing the previous six in Big Ten play.
- Rutgers has won four consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since joining the conference in 2015.
- This marked Rutgers' first shutout of the season, first since April 25, 2018 versus St. Peter's (17-0) and third overall in Big Ten play. The other two came against Penn State.
- Michigan State was held to just two plate appearances with a runner in scoring position in the game (walk, strikeout).
- Dezzi extended his hitting streak to eight games and Nyisztor has been on base in each of the last 13 games.
- Acosta has pitched in 10 of the last 11 games.
- The game-time temperature was 67 degrees and the contest lasted two hours, 52 minutes.
UP NEXT
Rutgers continues its seven-game homestand Wednesday versus Hofstra at 3 p.m. The next Big Ten series starts Friday against Purdue.
SWEEP! #RBaseball breaks out the brooms with an 8-0, one-hit shutout win over Michigan State. First Big Ten sweep for the Scarlet Knights. pic.twitter.com/J35Hh35PgV
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
The bats were busy for @RutgersBaseball today, but it was the performance on the mound that led to the Scarlet Knights to victory!
ā Rutgers On BTN (@RutgersOnBTN) April 14, 2019
Check out the plays from Rutgers' win over Michigan State!#GoRU pic.twitter.com/0eeawzg5fg
Reigning Big Ten Player of the Week Carmen Sclafani rips a double! Greco pinch runs and scores on a pair of wild pitches.
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
B7 | Rutgers 8, Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/meDBUqtuCP
Valderrama drives in a run on an error & Bowerbank follows with a sacrifice fly to score McNamara.
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
B4 | Rutgers 7, Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/Lj0PYGRY2x
Two-run single for McNamara! Scarlet Knights take a five-run lead.
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
B4 | Rutgers 5, Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/QFdc1LmV4j
Dezzi drives in Blum on a sacrifice fly.
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
B2 | Rutgers 3, Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/wvtPKzb75o
Welsh takes ball four with bases loaded to score Bowerbank. Spartans call the bullpen.
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
B2 | Rutgers 2, Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/OO46dtbfAu
Blum connects for an RBI single to put the Scarlet Knights ahead! Five RBIs in the last four games for the junior outfielder from Toms River.
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
B2 | Rutgers 1, Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/kb7wf92caG
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@RutgersBaseball), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball) and Facebook (/BaseballRU). For additional updates, please download theĀ Gameday App.Murray finishes off a 1-2-3 first inning by covering first. Scarlet Knights coming to bat.
ā Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 14, 2019
B1 | Rutgers 0, Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/vZjKWBPmjI
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Murray, Tevin (2-3)
L: Sleeman,Caleb (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Bechina,Marty 1
Base Running:
HBP: Ando,Royce 1
Batting:
2B: Sclafani, Carmen 1 ; Blum, Kevin 1
RBI: Welsh, Kevin 1 ; Dezzi, Tim 1 ; McNamara, Tyler 2 ; Valderrama, Victor 1 ; Bowerbank, Luke 1 ; Blum, Kevin 1
SF: Dezzi, Tim 1 ; Bowerbank, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nyisztor, Mike 1 ; Welsh, Kevin 1 ; Dezzi, Tim 1 ; McNamara, Tyler 1 ; Valderrama, Victor 1 ; Bowerbank, Luke 1 ; Greco, Anthony 1 ; Blum, Kevin 1
SB: Nyisztor, Mike 2 ; Welsh, Kevin 1
