Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Rutgers baseball took an early lead, but Michigan State countered with five unanswered runs to take a 5-2 win in the Big Ten opener for both teams on Saturday at McLane Baseball Stadium. It was the first game of a doubleheader.

Senior Howie Brey (Middletown, N.J.) (1-3) turned in another effective outing on the mound with 6.1 innings for RU. The left-hander struck out three and induced 10 fly outs in the 110-pitch effort. Senior Reed Shuttle (Lansdale, Pa.) worked an inning out of the bullpen, while junior Colin Bohnert (West Caldwell, N.J.) stranded two inherited runners.

At the plate, the Scarlet Knights (8-12, 0-1) picked up six hits, with junior Mike Carter (Bloomfield, N.J.) recording two in his first game since Opening Day. Fifth-year senior Chris Suseck (Flemington, N.J.) and freshman Jawuan Harris (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) each had an RBI.

Cam Vieaux (4-1) earned the win for the Spartans (16-3, 1-0) with two runs surrendered over 6.1 innings. He struck out five. In relief, Dakota Mekkes retired all seven faced to collect his first save.

After each side went down scoreless in the first two innings, Rutgers broke through for two runs to take the lead in the third. Freshman Carmen Sclafani (Toms River, N.J.) worked a walk on a full count to start it off and advanced into scoring position on a bunt single by senior R.J. Devish (Beachwood, N.J.). Next up, Carter lined a single to load the bases for Suseck, who lifted a sac fly to score Sclafani for the first score of the day. Then with two outs, Harris came through with an RBI single to right field.

However, Jordan Zimmerman hit a two-out, two-run home run to tie it up in the bottom of the fourth. It would stay knotted at two until the sixth when Justin Hovis gave MSU the lead with a two-out RBI single. Another run came in the seventh with two outs, with a squeeze play in the eighth accounting for the fifth score for the hosts.

Game two of the doubleheader followed from McLane Baseball Stadium.

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