PISCATAWAY, N.J. –
Harry Rutkowski worked at least eight innings for the second-straight week, but Rutgers baseball (8-7) stranded 11 runners in dropping the series opener to Penn State (5-10), 1-0, Friday at Bainton Field.
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"Harry was awesome, the best I've seen him pitch in two years," head coach
Steve Owens said. "He had total command of the game, good location and generated weak contact. He did a great job. Just left one changeup up and we got a glove on it, but it went over the fence. That was the difference in the game.
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"Offensively, we had 10 hits and a lot of scoring opportunities. I thought the approach was good, lined out a bunch. One of those balls falls in and this game is different, but that's baseball. We have to do a better job with runners on base and with situational hitting."
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After pitching 8.1 last week, Rutkowski logged eight innings against the Nittany Lions with only four hits and one run allowed. The left-hander struck out seven and did not walk a batter in the 94-pitch outing, lowering his ERA to 2.43 and WHIP to 0.96.
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Kyle Muller struck out the side in the ninth inning on 11 pitches.
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At the plate,
Jordan Sweeney had his second three-hit game of the season with two singles and a double.
Cameron Love added a double and single.
Gus Sosa recorded a pinch-hit single in the ninth and
Josh Rodriguez walked with one out, but a double play ended the game. The Scarlet Knights went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
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Bailey Dees earned the win for the visitors with six shutout innings. Steven Miller collected his second save.
- Penn State broke the scoreless tie on a solo homer by Justin Williams with one out in the top of the seventh.
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Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. Watch on Big Ten Network+ or listen on WRSU 88.7-FM.
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