Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Propelled by another strong pitching effort, Rutgers baseball earned a 4-2 win over Seton Hall Saturday at Bainton Field to take the first two games of the weekend series. Junior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) pitched seven innings to earn the win on the mound.

It was the third consecutive victory for the Scarlet Knights (15-26-1), as RU has now won four of the past five weekend series against Garden State rival Seton Hall (19-17).

Using a variety of locations and speeds, Brey (2-6) worked at least seven innings for the fifth time in the last six starts.  The left-hander struck out three and allowed two runs in the 102-pitch outing to collect his 11th career victory. Following up, sophomore Max Herrmann (Rutherford, N.J.) notched two outs, while sophomore Christian Campbell (Sayreville, N.J.) recorded the last four for his first collegiate save.

Offensively, the Scarlet Knights totaled double-digit hits for the 14th time this season with 11 on the day. Senior Joe D'Annunzio (Scotch Plains, N.J.), sophomore Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) and junior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) all had two hits, with D'Annunzio, Marcinczyk and junior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) all picking up an RBI. Devish also made a difference defensively with three runners thrown out attempting to steal, raising his total to 13 on the year.

Rutgers jumped on the board first for the second consecutive day in the second inning. Freshman Kyle Walker (Piscataway, N.J.) and Suseck both singled to put two aboard for freshman Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.), who laid down a sacrifice bunt. Devish then stepped up and produced an RBI groundout to make it 1-0.

The lead grew to three one inning later with a three-hit rally. Campbell crushed a leadoff double off the base of the wall in left and D'Annunzio knocked him home one batter later with a ringing triple to the left-center gap. Next up, Marcinczyk shot a first-pitch offering up the middle for an RBI single.

The Pirates answered in the fifth with a solo homer by Alex Falconi and Tyler Boyd registered a two-out RBI single in the sixth to cut it to 3-2.

However, RU responded with one of its own in the sixth to up the lead to two. Suseck and Freeman both singled to put runners at the corners immediately. Devish sent up a grounder to first base that SHU elected to turn a double play to second base, as Suseck came across on the play.

Seton Hall threatened in the eighth, but Campbell was able to leave two on to keep the lead. In the ninth, the right-hander induced a double play and senior Vinny Zarrillo (Forked River, N.J.) ran down a ball in deep left to secure the victory.

The visitors had 12 hits in the ballgame, but left nine runners on base. On the mound, Shane McCarthy (4-4) took the loss with four runs allowed over six complete innings.

Rutgers will next look for the sweep in the Sunday series finale played at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J., home of the Somerset Patriots. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and sophomore Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) is slated to make the start on the hill for the Scarlet Knights.



NOTES
RU is now 14-2 when leading after six innings this season ... the Scarlet Knights have surrendered just four runs in the first two games of the series, with the bullpen tossing five scoreless innings ... Marcinczyk has reached base safely in 34 of the last 35 games ... D'Annunzio has 13 career triples, tied for third in school history, and six this season, tied for fifth in a season in the record books ... a season-high 467 attended the game at Bainton Field ... the game last two hours, six minutes.

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