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Rutgers University Athletics

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Big Ten Conference
Chris Brito
Mark Brown
15
Winner Rutgers RU 9-19, 2-4 B1G
3
Iowa IOWA 18-12, 5-4 B1G
Winner
Rutgers RU
9-19, 2-4 B1G
15
Final
3
Iowa IOWA
18-12, 5-4 B1G
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rutgers RU 5 1 0 0 0 1 2 5 1 15 15 3
Iowa IOWA 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 7 4

W: Murray, Tevin (1-3) L: Judkins, Grant (3-3) S: Brito, Serafino (4)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Bats Break Out in 15-3 Win at Iowa

Scarlet Knights post largest margin of victory in Big Ten game since joining conference

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Rutgers baseball (9-19, 2-4) scored five in the first inning on the way to posting season highs in runs and hits in a 15-3 pounding of Iowa (18-12, 5-4) Saturday at Banks Field. The 12-run margin of victory was the most for the Scarlet Knights in a Big Ten game since joining the conference in 2015.
 
Being the series finale, this game was moved up as the nightcap of a doubleheader with rain in the forecast for Sunday.
 
"We came out hungry," head coach Joe Litterio said. "Again, we put ourselves down two games to none in a conference weekend and fought to get the final win. It is a process with all of the young guys playing, getting a taste of Big Ten play. We are starting to make progress. In between games, I got on the team about being tough at the plate. We needed to be more aggressive and do a better job with our two-strike approach. Putting up five early relaxed everyone, but we tacked on throughout the game."
 
Rutgers scored in six different innings on 15 hits, six for extra bases, and seven walks at the plate, as all nine in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit. The 15 runs were the most by the team in a Big Ten road game, matching the number in a 2018 home win over Michigan last season.
 
Freshman Chris Brito and senior Carmen Sclafani both slugged three-run homers to highlight the outburst, with freshman Victor Valderrama hitting a pair of doubles. Brito (three hits, one walk) joined redshirt freshman Tim Dezzi (two hits, two walks) on base four times in the game. Junior Kevin Welsh extended his on-base streak to 23 games with a triple and a walk.
 
On the mound, junior Tevin Murray earned his first collegiate win by striking out six in five innings with no earned runs allowed. The left-hander has now fanned 44 in 33.1 innings this season. The bullpen surrendered two runs (one earned) in the final four frames. Senior Serafino Brito picked up his fourth save by working three scoreless innings to close out the game.
 
"When it comes down to it, you want to win every game and series you play, but on the road you need to take at least one," Litterio said. "That one win is such a big difference in the standings. We look forward to playing at home the next two weekends and need to take care of business."

Grant Judkins, who entered with a 1.69 ERA and pitched seven innings with one run allowed last time versus Illinois, took the loss after giving up six runs (one earned) in a five-inning start. The 15 runs were the most permitted by the Hawkeyes in a game this season.


 
SCORING
  • The Scarlet Knights posted five runs in the first. Welsh started the rally by reaching on a one-out error and moved to third on a single by Dezzi. Senior Tyler McNamara followed with an RBI single. After the second out, senior Luke Bowerbank delivered a run-scoring single to make it 2-0. Sclafani then crushed a three-run homer, his team-leading fourth long ball of the season.
  • RU tacked on another in the second when Valderrama hit a leadoff double and scored two batters later on a Welsh sacrifice fly.
  • Iowa plated an unearned run in the bottom of the second.
  • Rutgers made it 7-1 in the sixth. Sclafani hit a double, freshman Garrett French picked up his first collegiate hit and a wild pitch followed.
  • In the bottom of the sixth, the Hawkeyes added one after a pickoff error. French prevented further damage by striking out two to strand a pair on base.
  • Rutgers took advantage of three Iowa errors in the seventh to add two more runs, making it 9-2.
  • A sacrifice fly recorded a run for the Hawkeyes in the bottom of the seventh.
  • The Scarlet Knights broke open the game with a five-run eighth. Sophomore Mike Nyisztor registered an RBI single, McNamara notched his second batted in of the game on a fielder's choice and Brito launched a three-run home to center. He now has two dingers.
  • Freshman David Soto scored on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Dezzi in the ninth.
 
NOTES
  • Rutgers is now 5-4 in Big Ten games versus Iowa.
  • Rutgers went 7-for-17 with runners in scoring position and Iowa went 1-for-11.
  • Rutgers has split all three doubleheaders played this season (USC Upstate, Ohio State).
  • It was the largest margin in a conference victory since rolling past Georgetown by the score of 17-3 on May 11, 2013.
  • The game-time temperature was 72 degrees and the contest lasted three hours, 50 minutes.
 
UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights are back in action Wednesday at Lafayette. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. The next Big Ten series starts Friday versus Michigan State at Bainton Field. 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 the Gameday App.
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