Box Score

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Exploding for 17 runs on 16 hits, Rutgers baseball beat No. 17 Miami, 17-6, in the series finale Sunday at Alex Rodriguez Park. It was the most runs scored and the largest RU margin of victory against the Hurricanes in the 65th all-time meeting.

For the weekend, Rutgers (1-2) outscored Miami (2-1) by the count of 21-17. The team met on the first weekend of the season for the eighth time in nine years.



The Scarlet Knights scored in six different innings, with multiple runs in five rallies. Senior Mike Carter went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, while classmate Gaby Rosa also enjoyed a three-hit game with three knocked in of his own. At the top of the order, sophomore Jawuan Harris reached 5-of-6 times with two doubles and four runs scored. Senior Christian Campbell, junior Milo Freeman and junior Chris Folinusz all registered two hits and two RBIs, as Folinusz connected for the only home run in the game.

Freshman Eric Reardon (1-0) earned the win on the mound in his collegiate debut, pitching one inning and stranding a pair of inherited runners on base in the fourth inning. He came in relief of sophomore James Torres, who made his first collegiate start and worked three shutout innings to begin the outing. He ended up with four strikeouts.

Sophomore Ryan Wares (one batter), sophomore Kevin Romero (one inning), Campbell (two innings) and freshman Joe Neglia (one inning) combined to pitch 4.1 scoreless innings to finish off the win. The staff rung up nine strikeouts altogether.

The Scarlet Knights scored first for the second-straight day with back-to-back doubles to start the game. Harris began with a two-bagger to left field and immediately stole third. Next up, Carter hammered a ball to the center field wall to put RU up, 1-0.

Torres kept the lead with three shutout innings to start the game. He was aided by a caught stealing from Folinusz in the bottom of the first and the third frame with three strikeouts.

Then in the fourth, the gates opened and Rutgers pushed across five runs (three earned) to go up six. Campbell hustled down the line on a dropped strike three that was thrown wide to first base to reach. Following an out, both Freeman and Folinusz worked walks to load the bases. Sophomore Luke Bowerbank came up next and put the ball in play for an RBI, but it was misplayed to keep the sacks full. Next up, Rosa had the big hit of the rally with a two-run single down the right field line that was bobbled and thrown away to allow an extra run. The shortstop would next steal third and race in on a high throw that went into the outfield.

The Hurricanes responded with three runs of their own in the last of the fourth. However, Reardon quelled the situation by coming in with two in scoring position and inducing a fly ball to center.

Keeping heat up, the Scarlet Knights answered with three runs in the fifth to retake a six-run lead, 9-3. Freeman laced a two-out single to keep the inning alive and Folinusz came up and lifted a towering opposite-field home run. Bowerbank then walked and Rosa drilled an RBI double to the left-center gap.

After the hosts plated three, RU scored again in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs. Harris ripped his second double of the day and advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw. Carter worked a walk and Campbell hit an RBI single through the left side. Freeman would come through with an RBI single to make it 11-6.

Romero entered the game in the sixth and halted the scoring with a scoreless frame of work.

RU kept going, though, with three more insurance runs in the seventh. Bowerbank started it off with a single, as Rosa laid down a bunt for a hit as well. Freshman Kevin Welsh advanced both up a base and Miami decided to intentionally walk Harris. Carter stepped in next, lining a two-run single. Campbell capped the scoring with another RBI single on a hit-and-run.

Rutgers pushed home three more in its last at bat. Welsh and Harris both walked and Carter smashed another RBI double to make it 15-7. With a man on third, redshirt freshman Tommy Genuario made his collegiate debut and converted an RBI groundout. And then Freeman drove in the final tally with a run-scoring single to right-center.

Neglia came on and ended the game with a scoreless ninth.

For Miami, Michael Mediavilla (0-1) took the loss in a 3.1-inning start. The Hurricanes committed six errors compared to one by the Scarlet Knights.

RU will take on another ACC opponent next weekend with a trip to No. 18 Virginia. The three-game series will start Friday at 3 p.m.

NOTES
Rutgers last beat Miami exactly six years ago on Feb. 19, 2011 … today marked the first time this century RU beat a ranked team by more than 10 … Harris now has a 23-game on-base streak dating back to last year … Welsh collected his first career hit on the 11th pitch of an at bat … the last win over a ranked team came at No. 16 Florida Atlantic on March 12, 2016 … it was the most runs in a game in an opening-weekend series game since racking up 18 at William & Mary on Feb. 20, 2004 … the game lasted four hours ... the last RU played a game that long was a 14-inning win over Temple on May 2, 2014 (4:10) ... last nine-inning game that hit the four-hour mark was the finale of the 2012 series at Miami (4:00).

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