MERION STATION, Pa. – Using three homers and a six-out save by
Dale Stanavich, Rutgers baseball (6-1) defeated Saint Joseph's (4-3), 5-2, Tuesday at Smithson Field. The Scarlet Knights are off to the program's best start since 2001.
"We want to play at a high level every game," head coach
Steve Owens said. "I thought we pitched well, too many walks, but made pitches when needed. We swung the bats early and they made adjustments, had some opportunities to add more and didn't get hits in those spots. The way we scored today was hitting the ball over the fence."
Coming in with two on and no outs in the eighth facing the tying run, Stanavich recorded two strikeouts and a pop fly to strand the inherited runners. The left-hander then retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save of the season. In four appearances, he has collected 15 outs in sitting down all 14 batters faced.
Wyatt Parliament did not allow a hit or run in 2.2 innings making his first collegiate start. The rookie struck out three. In relief,
Garrett French earned his first victory with two scoreless frames in the middle innings.
Ben Gorski and
Kyle Muller both followed with innings to setup Stanavich. The staff held the Hawks to five hits, 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, struck out 13 and left 13 runners on base.
Offensively,
Chris Brito and
Ryan Lasko lifted back-to-back homers in the first inning as part of a four-run rally with two outs.
Danny DiGeorgio later went deep in the seventh inning for insurance, joining Lasko,
Richie Schiekofer and
Nick Cimillo with two hits. Brito walked three times to match his career high for a game.
The Scarlet Knights did not commit an error and have been charged with just three through seven games.
- T1 | The Scarlet Knights ran out to a 4-0 lead on six hits in sending nine to the plate. Mike Nyisztor led off with a single, and with two outs, Brito came up and blasted a two-run homer to left. Lasko followed with a long ball to left to make it 3-0. Cimillo and Tony Santa Maria both singled to extend the inning for Jordan Sweeney, who ripped an RBI single to center field.
- B4 | Brett Callahan hit a one-out RBI single for the Hawks, but French minimized the damage by retiring the next two to leave the bases loaded.
- T7 | DiGeorgio extended the lead to 5-1 with a solo homer to left, his eighth career long ball.
- B8 | Liam Bendo hit a solo homer to left for the home team to make it 5-2.
- Rutgers has now scored in the first inning in four games this season, totaling nine runs.
- The offense has reached at least 11 hits in 6-of-7 games.
- Rutgers last hit back-to-back homers on May 1, 2021, at Nebraska (Josh Rodriguez and Nyisztor).
- The Scarlet Knights have now had two pitchers record hitless starts (Brian Fitzpatrick four innings at Houston Baptist, Parliament 2.2 innings today).
- Lasko and Schiekofer have had a hit in all seven games, while Schiekofer owns a 24-game on-base streak dating back to 2021.
- This marked the first road midweek game for the Scarlet Knights under Owens.
- Rutgers improved to 39-10 all-time versus Saint Joseph's.
The Scarlet Knights travel to Virginia this weekend to take on three different opponents: Friday at William & Mary (3 p.m. Flo Sports), Saturday at Richmond (1 p.m., ESPN+) and Sunday at VCU (1 p.m., ESPN+).
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