PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 16, 2022) – For the second straight day, the No. 22 Rutgers baseball team used an eighth inning rally to take down Indiana at Bainton Field. RU has clinched the three-game series and has now won its first four series in Big Ten play.
 
It was once again a pitching battle in Piscataway, with Indiana's starter Jack Perkins tossing a 7-inning gem, giving up just 1 run and striking out eight Scarlet Knights.
 
"They're good and physical," head coach Steve Owens said. "(Jack Perkins) was awesome. You can't really pitch much better than he pitched."
 
For Rutgers, Nathan Florence got the start and battle through a pair of walks to start the game, eventually pushing through 4.0 innings and striking out seven Hoosiers, while allowing a pair of runs on a single and sac fly.
 
Garrett French relieved Florence and once again bridged the gap to the back end, going 3.0 innings, allowing just one hit and no runs, while striking out a pair.
 
"Our guys threw the ball great," Owens said. "It was a little rocky at the start for Nate. He got through it, got us into the middle of the game. Garrett kind of carried it on and then Sam got us the big double play ball."
 
Sam Portnoy got the eighth inning with RU down 2-1 and after hitting the leadoff man, induced a 4-6-3 double play to help him finish the scoreless frame.
 
In the bottom half of the eighth, facing a 2-1 deficit with two outs, Jordan Sweeney cranked a bases-clearing triple into the left-center gap to give RU a 4-2 lead. After entering the game as a pinch hitting in the sixth and hitting a hard lineout, Sweeney delivered perhaps the biggest hit of career, sending the crowd of 1,042 at Bainton Field into a frenzy.
 
"It was a great feeling," Sweeney said. "I just try to stay ready all game, be aggressive with a pitch in the zone and make it happen."
 
Ben Gorski pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his first save of the season to lock up the win.
 
Rutgers has now won 14 straight games, the longest winning streak in the country. The Scarlet Knights are also 11-0 at home, 10-1 in the Big Ten (solo first place) and 29-6 overall.
 
"It was just a great team effort," Owens said "Somebody different has been stepping up for us all year long. Different guys stepped up today to help us win. "

 

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The series finale between Rutgers and Indiana will be tomorrow, Sunday, at noon at Bainton Field.
 
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