March 20, 2015 Box Score
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Rutgers baseball rallied for three runs to tie the game in the top of the seventh, but Purdue responded with a grand slam in its half of the inning to win, 9-5, Friday at Alexander Field. It was the first Big Ten game for the Scarlet Knights.
Sophomore Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) kept up his hot hitting by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk. The outfielder is 13-for-25 (.520) on the current road trip with seven extra base hits. Senior Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.), junior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) and junior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) also contributed two hits in the series opener. RU collected 12 hits on the day.
On the mound, junior Mark McCoy (Barnegat, N.J.) (0-4) logged 6.1 innings with four strikeouts, but took the loss. Freshman Ryan Wares (Howell, N.J.) followed in relief and fanned three of the five outs recorded. For Purdue, Joe Eichmann (1-0) earned the win with 1.1 scoreless innings pitched.
Down 5-2 entering the seventh, the Scarlet Knights (3-14, 0-1) sparked a two-out rally to even the score. Marcinczyk started it with two down on a walk and moved up on a single by Zarrillo. Sophomore Christian Campbell (Sayreville, N.J.) next stepped up and laced a two-run double to the left field wall to make it 5-4. Devish then lined a ball up the middle to plate Campbell. Freshman Kyle Walker (Piscataway, N.J.) walked and Suseck singled to continue the frame, but a groundout left the bases loaded.
The Boilermakers (9-11, 1-0) responded by working two walks and loading the bases with one down on a short pop fly to the outfield. That setup a grand slam by Jack Picchiotti that proved to be the difference in the game.
Purdue scored early with a two-out single in the first, but Rutgers took the lead with two in the third on four hits. Senior Joe D'Annunzio (Scotch Plains, N.J.) started the rally with a first-pitch single and immediately came home on a double to center by Marcinczyk. After Zarrillo laid down a bunt to put runners at the corners, Marcinczyk came in on a double play grounder up the middle.
However, the Boilermakers put up two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to build a 5-2 early advantage.
Game two of the series at Alexander Field is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. Junior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) will make the start for the Scarlet Knights.
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 (@BaseballRU), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball) and Tumblr.
