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Big Ten Conference
Chris Brito
Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics
7
Winner Rutgers RU 3-3
6
North Florida UNF 2-4
Winner
Rutgers RU
3-3
7
Final
6
North Florida UNF
2-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rutgers RU 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 7 12 1
North Florida UNF 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 12 1

W: Murray, Tevin (1-1) L: OHME, Will (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Finishes Road Sweep at North Florida

Scarlet Knights post 37 runs in three-game series

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rutgers baseball (3-3) completed a three-game road sweep of North Florida (2-4) with a 7-6 Sunday victory at Harmon Stadium. It was the first weekend sweep in a true road series for the Scarlet Knights since taking all three at USC Upstate in March 2017.
 
RU previously topped the Ospreys by scores of 14-3 and 16-4 to finish with 37 runs, the most in a three-game set since recording that total versus Georgetown in May 2013.
 
"It felt great to win again today, it's really hard to sweep and it doesn't happen too often at any level of baseball," head coach Steve Owens said. "It's hard to perform better than a team for 27 innings. Our guys did a good job of being ready to play today."
 
Sophomore Chris Brito highlighted the offensive attack with a 3-for-4 performance, also being hit by a pitch to reach four times. The first baseman slugged his third homer of the season and added a two-out RBI single. For the weekend, he went 8-for-12 with three walks, a hit by pitch and six RBIs to improve his slash line to .500/.593/.955 through six games.
 
"We've seen the same thing from Brito all six games," Owens said. "He's really improved, he listens well and has a chance to be an elite offensive player if he continues to keep his head and approach like it is now."
 
Junior Mike Nyisztor and redshirt sophomore Tim Dezzi added two hits apiece to the 12-hit attack to make it 46 for the team in the series. Dezzi, sophomore Andy Axelson, sophomore Victor Valderrama and senior Kevin Welsh all knocked in runs, while sophomore Richie Schiekofer stole home on a first-and-third play.
 
On the mound, senior Tevin Murray surrendered three runs in the first inning, but settled in to post four-straight scoreless frames after that. The left-hander struck out six in the outing. Redshirt junior Kyle Muller worked two scoreless innings, leaving a runner at third each. Next in, senior Eric Reardon faced bases loaded with one out in the eighth, but induced a comebacker for a force at home and picked up a strikeout to end the threat.
 
Sophomore Jared Bellissimo had the ninth and worked around two unearned runs to strand the tying run at second with a strikeout.
 
"We are short right now on the mound, so it was important for Tevin to lock in and give us four zeros in a row," Owens said. "That's not Bellissimo's usual role, but he came through to close it out."


 
SCORING
  • The Scarlet Knights jumped up early with two runs in the first. Redshirt junior Danny DiGeorgio led off the game with a walk before junior Sam Owens reached on error to put two aboard. Following a popout and fielder's choice, Brito dropped in an RBI single to right field. On the next pitch, Brito went in motion from first, with the throw going to second base and Schiekofer stealing home on the first-and-third play.
  • The Ospreys countered with three runs on four hits in their first at bat.
  • RU evened the game at three in the top of the second. Dezzi led off with a double and came around three batters later when Valderrama ripped a ball inside third base and into the left field corner for an RBI double.
  • Rutgers retook the lead with two runs in the fourth. Brito led off with a high drive over the wall in right-center for a solo homer. Next up, Dezzi worked a four-pitch walk, advanced on a wild pitch and move to third on a sacrifice bunt by Welsh. Axelson came through with an RBI single to right field that made it 5-3.
  • The game stayed at 5-3 until the Scarlet Knights tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth. Nyisztor and Schiekofer both singled to start, with Brito being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dezzi then hit an RBI single over a drawn-in infield and Welsh followed with a sacrifice fly to build a four-run lead.
  • After an RBI single plated one, UNF took advantage of an error to score two unearned runs in the last of the ninth. A stole base put the tying run on second before Bellissimo rang up a strikeout to end the game.
 
NOTES
  • Rutgers now leads the all-time series over North Florida, 5-2, with five consecutive victories.
  • The last RU road sweep was at USC Upstate from March 24-25, 2017.
  • The last Rutgers sweep in February came from Feb. 24-26, 2012 at Old Dominion.
  • The Scarlet Knights had double-digit hits in all three games of a weekend series for the first time since March 16-18, 2018 at No. 27 Florida Gulf Coast.
  • Rutgers became the first non-conference opponent to come in and sweep North Florida at Harmon Stadium since Hartford in Feb. 2016.
 
UP NEXT

Rutgers returns to Bainton Field for its home opener scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. The game will broadcast on BTN Plus and WRSU 88.7-FM. The next series starts Friday at 2:10 p.m. ET against Washington State in Peoria, Ariz.
 
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