Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. - No. 16 Florida Atlantic scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to deny Rutgers baseball, 9-8, in the series opener Friday at FAU Baseball Stadium. The Scarlet Knights had previously taken a five-run lead at two different points in the game, but were unable to hold on to earn the win.

At the plate, junior Tom Marcinczyk (Middlesex, N.J.) jump-started a five-run rally in the first inning with a three-run home run on the way to four RBIs on the night. He now has two long balls on the season and 10 in his career. In addition, fifth-year senior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) and junior Gaby Rosa (Perth Amboy, N.J.) contributed two batted in apiece, while senior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.) reached base safely three times to bring his on-base percentage to a Big Ten-leading .608. RU drew seven walks as a team for the third-straight game.

Senior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) left in line to win with seven strikeouts over six innings pitched. The left-hander retired 12 of 13 batters at during one stretch and has worked at least six frames in all four of his starts this season. Freshman Serafino Brito (Oakland, N.J.) also turned in an inning of scoreless relief in his seventh appearance.

The Scarlet Knights (5-7) sent 10 batters to the plate to leap ahead five runs in the first. Devish started it off by drawing a five-pitch walk, moving up when a fly ball hit by Suseck dropped in down the right field line. Marcinczyk then stepped up and blasted a long shot to straight-away right field to make it 3-0 just three batters into the game. It would not stop there, as freshman Nick Matera (Roxbury, N.J.) roped a double to left-center. A strikeout went down as the first out, but sophomore Milo Freeman (Millburn, N.J.) reached on error to put two aboard. After a short fly out, Rosa delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to make it 5-0.

The Owls (12-1) chipped back in the second with three runs on four hits to make it a two-run game. However, RU responded with two in the fourth to build a 7-3 advantage. Freshman Jawuan Harris (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) started it off with a walk and promptly stole second, his ninth swipe of the year. Next up, Devish laced a single through the right side, moving up to second on the throw. Suseck contributed a productive RBI at bat by grounding out to second base. Then Marcinczyk roped a single through the box to drive in Devish.

The eighth run came across via a bases-loaded walk drawn by Suseck in the fifth. Freeman had previously started the frame with a single.

Down five, Florida Atlantic scored two in the sixth on a home run by Sean Lasban and then rallied in the ninth to pick up the win. The game-winning run scored on a two-out, full-count, bases-loaded walk drawn by Esteban Puerta. Senior Reed Shuttle (Lansdale, Pa.) (0-1) pitched a perfect eighth inning, but suffered the loss on the mound by surrendering his first runs of 2016.

For FAU, Colyn O'Connell (2-0) earned the win, as the staff used four relievers after starter David McKay was pulled in the first inning. Lasban had three of the team's 11 hits.

Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. from FAU Baseball Stadium. Redshirt junior Kyle Driscoll (Toms River, N.J.) is slated to make his fourth start of the season for the Scarlet Knights.

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