Rutkowski Strikes Out 12 Boilermakers in Shutout Victory

Friday, April 19

Piscataway, N.J.

12:00 PM

Rutgers University

14-20, 6-4

Purdue

12-24, 5-7

Purdue

Rutgers

Photo by: Rich Graessle

Rutkowski Strikes Out 12 Boilermakers in Shutout Victory

Apr 19 | Baseball

Box Score Statistics

Scarlet Knights win fifth-straight Big Ten game

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Led by a career-high 12 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings from sophomore Harry Rutkowski, Rutgers baseball (14-20, 6-4) blanked Purdue (12-24, 5-7) in a 2-0 Friday victory at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights won their fifth-straight Big Ten game and have taken six of their last seven overall.

"Harry has been pitching great all year and continued that today," head coach Joe Litterio said. "He kept guys off balance and had command of his curveball, the right-handed hitters were swinging over it. He was able to make big pitches in big spots all day."

Rutkowski's eight innings were a season high and the 12 strikeouts were the most by a Scarlet Knight since Charlie Law racked up a dozen on March 10, 2013 at William & Mary. The number was last achieved at Bainton Field by Rob Smorol on April 16, 2011 versus Cincinnati. In addition, it was the first double-digit strikeout performance since Howie Brey totaled 10 in a victory at Maryland on May 13, 2016.

Rutkowski surrendered six hits, two walks and a hit by pitch, but held the Boilermakers to 1-for-13 with runners on and 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The left-hander recorded his third career start with no earned runs allowed to lower his season ERA to 2.83 and 3.25 against the league.

Also blanking Michigan State, 8-0, last Sunday, RU pitched back-to-back conference shutouts for the first time since March 2013 at Villanova to lower the team ERA in the Big Ten to 2.62. Today marked the fourth Big Ten shutout for Rutgers since joining in 2015.

Senior Serafino Brito faced the minimum in the ninth inning, ending the game on the double play, to earn his seventh save of the season, which ranks ninth in school history. His 12 career saves match Jim Kohl (1988-91) for sixth in the program record books.

Offensively, the Scarlet Knights collected seven hits and drew two walks. Senior Tyler McNamara and junior Kevin Welsh both went 2-for-4, while junior Kevin Blum and senior Carmen Sclafani each knocked in a run.

Andrew Bohm went 6.2 innings for Purdue and struck out five, with Conner Tomasic recording the last four outs. Cole McKenzie had three of the Boilermaker's seven hits. Purdue left nine runners on base.

SCORING
In the second inning, Purdue laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. However, Rutkowski struck out the next two hitters to escape. The Scarlet Knights then had a similar situation in the bottom of the inning. Freshman Victor Valderrama and senior Luke Bowerbank both singled, with freshman David Soto executing a sacrifice bunt. Blum then put the ball in play for an RBI groundout to shortstop to put RU on top, 1-0.

Rutkowski retired a stretch of eight-straight hitters from the fifth until the eighth, including striking out the side in the sixth. The Boilermakers put two on with two outs in the eighth, but a strikeout ended the inning to preserve the one-run advantage.

The Scarlet Knights tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Welsh and McNamara both singled to put runners at the corners with no outs for Sclafani, who hit a fielder's choice to second base to make it 2-0.

NOTES

Rutgers' 6-4 start in the Big Ten is the best since joining the league and best through 10 conference games since beginning 7-3 against the Big East in 2013.
Rutgers last won five-straight league games when winning six in a row in May 2014 in the American Athletic Conference (home sweeps against Temple and USF).
Rutgers is now 5-5 against Purdue in Big Ten meetings, including 3-1 at Bainton Field.
Rutgers did not commit an error for the eighth game this season.
The game-time temperature was 74 degrees and the game lasted two hours, 35 minutes.

UP NEXT
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.

SHUTOUT! Brito saves it for Rutkowski (eight innings, 12 strikeouts) in a 2-0 #RBaseball victory over Purdue. Scarlet Knights with five-straight Big Ten wins to improve to 6-4. pic.twitter.com/VlwpeKggNh
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 19, 2019

Insurance run! Welsh & McNamara both single to put runners at the corners and Sclafani puts the ball in play for an RBI.

B8 | Rutgers 2, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/MjtEKgkQoP
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 19, 2019

Rutkowski finishes the eighth inning with his 12th strikeout of the day! Most for a Scarlet Knight in a game since 2013.

B8 | Rutgers 1, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/qwsmSNVNt7
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 19, 2019

Rutkowski with a career-high 10 strikeouts after adding two more in a perfect seventh!

B7 | Rutgers 1, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/slriQeOV8Q
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 19, 2019

Rutkowski induces a comebacker to leave two in scoring position.

B5 | Rutgers 1, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/BIsC4m2AkH
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 19, 2019

Valderrama singles, Bowerbank singles, Soto lays down a sacrifice bunt & Blum picks up an RBI to give the Scarlet Knights an early lead.

B2 | Rutgers 1, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/uI0ihbWSXI
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 19, 2019

Rutkowski strikes out two with runners in scoring position to escape a jam!

B2 | Rutgers 0, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/TgyZ2xHYV8
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 19, 2019

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