PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball (13-20) had its five-game winning streak snapped in a 6-4 setback to Hofstra (8-24) Wednesday at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights dropped to 7-3 at home this season and 5-2 in midweek contests.
"We walked two guys and gave an extra out in the sixth, and they took advantage of it," head coach
Joe Litterio said. "That was the difference. We had runners on base and in scoring position, but just didn't get the big hit today. It's a tough loss and proves that we have to play well each time out to win, no matter who we are playing."
Senior
Luke Bowerbank highlighted the offensive attack with a 4-for-4 performance, his second career four-hit game. The designated hitter joined sophomore
Mike Nyisztor, redshirt freshman
Tim Dezzi and senior
Carmen Sclafani with one RBI in the game. RU totaled eight hits and left eight on base in the game.
On the mound, freshman
Jared Bellissimo permitted one run over five innings and left with the lead. Junior
Eric Reardon worked two scoreless innings of relief and sophomore
Kyle Muller added one to keep the team within striking distance late.
The Pride did not have a hit in the first three innings, but scored in the fourth on two doubles and rallied for five runs in the sixth. Two RU rallies were cut short on double plays, as Seamus Brazill pitched three innings of relief and Daniel Page earned the save in the ninth. Steven Boscia worked five innings with two runs allowed in the start.
SCORING
- The Scarlet Knights scored first for the sixth-straight game with a two-out rally in the first. Dezzi worked a five-pitch walk and moved up on a single up the middle by freshman Chris Brito. Sclafani and Bowerbank then connected on consecutive RBI singles to make it 2-0.
- The Pride picked up back-to-back doubles with two down in the top of the fourth to score a run.
- Hofstra then posted five runs on three hits, two walks and one error to take a 6-2 lead in the sixth. Jimmy Joyce hit a three-run double.
- In the seventh, junior Kevin Blum reached on an error and scored from first on a triple by Nyisztor. Nyisztor crossed two batters later on a groundout to cut the deficit to 6-4.
UP NEXT
Rutgers stays home to host Purdue in a Big Ten weekend series that starts Friday at 2 p.m. at Bainton Field.
"This Purdue weekend is a big series. We're playing a team that's right with us in the standings and we want to take care of business at home. We have to come out confident like we did last weekend and play our best."
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