Baseball Beats Purdue in Rubber Game

Sunday, April 21

Piscataway, N.J.

11:00 AM

Rutgers University

15-21, 7-5

Purdue

13-25, 6-8

Purdue

Rutgers

Photo by: Mark Brown

Apr 21 | Baseball

Box Score Statistics

Murray lowers Big Ten ERA to 0.78 with six scoreless innings

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – After junior Tevin Murray left two in scoring position in the top of the first inning, Rutgers baseball (15-21, 7-5) scored three in the bottom half on the way to a 6-1 victory over Purdue (13-25, 6-8) in the rubber game of the series Sunday at Bainton Field. The Scarlet Knights have won six of their last seven Big Ten games.

The 7-5 conference record through four series is the best for RU since beginning 8-4 in the Big East in 2013. The team has four Big Ten series remaining on the schedule this season.

"To come out in the first inning and not let them score and put three on board right away changed the game," head coach Joe Litterio said. "Tevin didn't have his best stuff like last week, but battled through to give us a chance to win. And it was important to tack on runs late. We had a much better two-strike approach today. We talked about taking care of business at home and we were able to do that this weekend."

Murray, the reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, worked six-plus innings with five strikeouts and no runs allowed. He left eight runners on base to extend to 20.2 consecutive innings without permitting an earned run. The left-hander now owns a 0.78 ERA with a .186 average against in the Big Ten, earning wins in each of his last three starts.

Senior Serafino Brito closed out the last three innings for his eighth save of the season, tied for fifth-most in a season in school history. The right-hander ended the game striking out the side in the ninth. He previously stranded two inherited runners in the seventh.

The Scarlet Knights now own a 2.61 ERA in the Big Ten with just 11 earned runs allowed in the past seven league games.

Offensively, the Scarlet Knights collected 11 hits in the game and hit 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position, picking up three two-out RBIs. All nine in the lineup reached at least once, with senior Tyler McNamara and freshman Victor Valderrama both recording a single, a double and two knocked in. Sophomore Mike Nyisztor, who led off the first with a double, added two hits to extend his on-base streak to 17 games. In addition, senior Carmen Sclafani and freshman David Soto each drove in a run in a balanced attack.

James Kulak took the loss for Purdue with three runs allowed in the first inning. The Boilermakers went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring and stranded 11 runners on base.

Three of the four Big Ten series between Rutgers and Purdue have come down to a rubber game, with the Scarlet Knights 3-0 in such contests.

SCORING

Purdue put runners at second and third with one out in the first, but Murray picked up a strikeout and a grounder to first base to escape. Immediately after, Nyisztor doubled and Welsh laid down a bunt single to put runners at the corners with no outs. After a strikeout, freshman Chris Brito walked to load the bases for McNamara, who was hit by a pitch to force in the first run. Valderrama then hit an RBI fielder's choice and Sclafani singled with two down to make it 3-0.
The Scarlet Knights added one in the third when redshirt freshman Tim Dezzi hit a leadoff single, advanced on a passed ball and scored on an RBI double by McNamara.
Valderrama hit a leadoff double in the sixth, but stayed at second until Soto roped a two-out RBI single to center field.
The RU advantage increased to 6-0 in the seventh. Valderrama recorded the third two-out RBI hit to score Brito.
The Boilermakers picked up an RBI single with two outs in the eighth, but Brito prevented further damage to keep the lead.

NOTES

Rutgers improved to 6-6 against Purdue in Big Ten games.
Rutgers closed its seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record, including 5-1 against Big Ten opponents. The team is 9-4 at Bainton Field this season.
Rutgers is outscoring Big Ten opponents by the count of 16-4 in the first inning this season.
Brito is now fifth in the program record books with 79 career appearances and ranks tied for fifth with 13 saves as a Scarlet Knight.
The game lasted three hours and 12 minutes.

UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights are scheduled for five games next week. That starts with a Tuesday trip to Columbia for a 3:30 p.m. game before returning the Bainton Field to host Iona in a makeup game Wednesday at 3 p.m. The weekend features a trip to Michigan for a Big Ten series.

SERIES WIN! Scarlet Knights beat Purdue in the rubber game, 6-1, to improve to 7-5 in the Big Ten. Murray pitches six scoreless innings & Brito closes it out. pic.twitter.com/yFHTlDstVB
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

Valderrama adds another! Scarlet Knights now own three RBIs with two outs today.

B7 | Rutgers 6, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/V1aWyLl3H7
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

A nice play by Welsh up the middle, a runners interference & a fly ball to center helps Brito strand two on base.

B7 | Rutgers 5, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/6OmwPdj8Rw
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

Soto connects! A two-out RBI single up the middle scores Valderrama (double).

B6 | Rutgers 5, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/nO8R8bhVtm
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

Strike three! Murray now with five strikeouts today after adding two in a 1-2-3 sixth.

B6 | Rutgers 4, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/VriXIfJj20
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

Double! McNamara drives home Dezzi to expand the lead to four.

B3 | Rutgers 4, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/fPKNP6jb42
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

Boilermakers put two on with two outs, but Murray induces a grounder to third to escape.

B2 | Rutgers 3, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/9QTvCQ99XC
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

Pump it up! Sclafani delivers a two-out RBI hit to score McNamara.

B1 | Rutgers 3, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/5zYl2ZDj4L
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

Murray leaves two in scoring position to work a scoreless first. Scarlet Knights coming to bat.

B1 | Rutgers 0, Purdue 0 pic.twitter.com/tUiOI2Kh6c
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 21, 2019

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