Box Score

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Sophomore Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) went 4-for-6 with a home run to spark Rutgers baseball to a 12-8 win over Canisius Monday at Bob Warn Field on the campus of Indiana State. The Scarlet Knights collected a season-best 14 hits and have scored double-digit runs in all wins this year.

Hitting his third homer of the season in the first inning, Marcinczyk extended his personal on-base streak to nine games and hitting streak to six. He added a double and two singles later in the contest, improving to 9-for-17 (.429) over his last four games. The outfielder leads RU with a .339 average, a .431 on-base percentage and a .589 slugging percentage in 2015.

Freshman Kyle Walker (Piscataway, N.J.) also contributed to the offensive output with a career-best three hits and three RBIs as the designated hitter. He scored twice. In addition, senior Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.) popped his second career home run - first of the season - and scored three times. Junior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) contributed a pair of hits and junior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) crossed the plate on three occasions.

On the mound, freshman John O'Reilly (Northvale, N.J.) (2-0) earned his second win in as many starts for Rutgers. The right-hander allowed two earned runs in the five-inning outing and struck out two. Classmate Ryan Wares (Howell, N.J.) followed out of the bullpen and logged three innings with three punchouts and one run permitted. Senior Jon Young (Old Bridge, N.J.) closed the victory by pitching the ninth.

The Scarlet Knights (3-12) jumped up early when Marcinczyk blasted a two-out homer in the first to right-center. It was his fourth career long ball. However, the Golden Griffins (7-12) answered back with a walk and a triple to tie the score.

An error helped start a rally for RU in the second when Suseck reached and moved up to third on a single by Walker. Freshman Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.) then tallied his first career RBI with a single to right. With two down, sophomore Mike Carter (Bloomfield, N.J.) connected for an RBI single to plate Walker. The lead would not last, though, as Canisius took advantage of a Rutgers error and had three extra-base hits to go up 4-3 after two innings.

The scoring continued for the Scarlet Knights in the third with four runs on two hits, five walks and an error. The 10-batter frame began with a double by Marcinczyk and a single through the left side by Zarrillo. Senior Joe D'Annunzio (Scotch Plains, N.J.) walked to load the bases, but Marcinczyk was out at the plate attempting to score on a stray pitch. But Suseck walked to reload the bags for Walker, who lifted a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score both Zarrillo and D'Annunzio for the rare two-run sacrifice fly. A throwing error extended the inning, as Suseck eventually crossed on a wild pitch and Devish drew a walk with the bases loaded to make it 7-4.

Zarrillo cracked a long ball off the scoreboard in right to start the fourth on a 2-2 pitch to extend the advantage. The score was 8-5 after four innings when the Golden Griffins used their fourth triple of the game to score one.

Both teams exchanged a zero on the board in the fifth before RU restarted the scoring with three more in the sixth. Zarrillo started the affair with a walk and moved up a base on a failed pickoff try. Running up to third on a groundout, he came in on an RBI single through the left side by Suseck. Walker continued his hot hitting with a double to left-center on a hit-and-run that brought in Suseck all the way from first. Walker advanced to third on a wild pitch and ran home on a throwing error.

The Scarlet Knights responded to a Canisius run in the eighth by scoring one of their own in the top of the ninth. Devish singled with two outs and stole second. Marcinczyk next capped his day with an RBI single.

Young permitted a two-run homer in the ninth, but prevented further damage to end the game and seal the victory.

Starter Brandon Bielecki (0-2) suffered the loss for the Golden Griffins, who used five pitchers in the ballgame. It was the first meeting on the baseball diamond between Rutgers and Canisius.

After playing four games at Indiana State, the Scarlet Knights will continue their spring break journey through the Hoosier state with a Wednesday game at Ball State. First pitch from Muncie, Ind., is set for 3 p.m.



NOTES
It was the first Rutgers game played on a Monday since June 4, 2007 in the NCAA Regionals against Oregon State ... Marcinczyk tallied the first four-hit game by a Scarlet Knight this season and has a team-best six multiple-hit games this year ... Suseck made the start at second base for the first time ... Rutgers made just one error compared to five committed by Canisius ... the game-time temperature was 65 degrees ... the contest lasted two hours, 47 minutes.

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