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Rutgers University Athletics

Scoreboard

Big Ten Conference
Peoria Sports Complex
2
Rutgers RU 4-4
9
Winner Washington State WSU 4-5
Rutgers RU
4-4
2
Final
9
Washington State WSU
4-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Rutgers RU 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 4
Washington State WSU 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 3 X 9 8 1

W: Mills, Zane (3-0) L: Rutkowski, Harry (1-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Downed by Washington State

Scarlet Knights’ four-game winning streak snapped

PEORIA, Ariz. – Rutgers baseball (4-4) took an early 2-0 lead, but Washington State (4-5) scored the final nine runs in the game to take a 9-2 win in the series opener between the teams Friday at the Peoria Sports Complex. The contest was played at the main stadium of the facility, the spring training home of the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.
 
The loss snapped the Scarlet Knights' four-game winning streak. It was the third all-time meeting between RU and WSU and the first since 1990.
 
"We didn't do anything good today," head coach Steve Owens said. "We somehow got off to a 2-0 start by putting some balls in plays. That should have given us momentum to get going. We had other opportunities with runners on third with less than two outs twice, hit into a double play and popped up. The top of the order went 1-for-12 with too many strikeouts. Harry didn't have it today. We didn't make a play for him to start the fifth when they scored three to take the lead, but he is capable of better. We were beat on defense, at the plate and on the mound. I'm disappointed in the effort. We have to put it behind us and get ready to go tomorrow."
 
Having scored 52 runs the previous four games, Rutgers was held to two unearned runs over 7.2 innings by Washington State starter Zane Mills (3-0). Mills struck out 10, walked two and allowed five hits in the outing.
 
Junior Harry Rutkowski (1-2) permitted five runs, two earned, over five innings. Freshman Matt Ciccone worked two innings in relief, while redshirt freshman Jacob Newman pitched one.
 
Offensively, redshirt sophomore Tim Dezzi went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt and a double. Sophomore Chris Brito walked twice to send his on-base percentage to .556. Both senior Kevin Welsh and sophomore Peter Serruto recorded a run knocked in.
 
SCORING
  • The Scarlet Knights scored first for the fifth-straight game with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Redshirt sophomore Richie Schiekofer led off the inning by reaching on an error and advanced to second when Brito walked. Both moved up a sacrifice bunt by Dezzi. Next up, Welsh delivered an RBI single for the first run of the game, with Serruto following with an RBI groundout to make it 2-0.
  • The Cougars used a leadoff walk to push one across in the third and added another following a leadoff double in the fourth that evened the game.
  • WSU then took the lead in the fifth with three unearned runs. Another crossed in the sixth before a three-spot, all unearned, in the eighth set the final at 9-2. 
 
UP NEXT

Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 8:40 p.m. ET (6:40 p.m. local) and will be played on Mariners Field #2.
 
"I think we struck out too much and didn't have a good approach up there," junior Mike Nyisztor said. "Tomorrow, we want to come out with better energy, play better defense and just all around, be better."
 
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 Scarlet Knights App via the app store or play store.
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