March 25, 2017 Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Behind two big innings at the plate, Rutgers baseball came back to beat USC Upstate, 10-7, in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Harley Park. The victory clinched the weekend series for the Scarlet Knights after Friday's 5-1 triumph.
RU (8-14) used a three-run home run by sophomore Carmen Sclafani, the first of his career, to highlight a four-run sixth and a two-run shot by classmate Mike Martinez in a five-run eighth. Martinez finished with a career-high three hits to join senior Mike Carter, who has reached base in 21-of-22 games this season. Senior Christian Campbell added a pair of doubles, while classmate Tom Marcinczyk drove in two.
Fifth-year senior Max Herrmann pitched the final two innings with four strikeouts and no runs allowed for his third save of the season and 12th of his career. The left-hander is now tied with Jim Kohl (1988-91) for fifth in school history in the category. Sophomore Ryan Wares (1-0) earned his first career win with an inning out of the bullpen. Making the start, junior John O'Reilly went 5.2 innings and left with the lead.
Down 7-5 in the eighth, junior Milo Freeman was hit by a pitch to start and Martinez followed with a lined bullet over the left-field wall to tie the game. It was his first homer of the year and fifth career. The rally did not stop there, as junior Chris Folinusz hit a wall scraper for a double. Sclafani came up after and advanced the runner on a grounder up the middle. Next, freshman Kevin Welsh connected for an RBI single through a drawn-in infield to put Rutgers back on top. Continuing, sophomore Jawuan Harris and Carter both singled to load the bases, with Marcinczyk lacing an RBI single. Campbell capped the five-run outburst with a sacrifice fly.
Herrmann entered with the three-run lead and stranded two runners on in both frames, ending the game on a strikeout.
Bryan Hathaway (1-1) took the loss for the home team with three runs allowed in relief. Russell Schwertfeger had a game-high four RBIs.
Campbell started the four-run rally in the sixth with a one-out double and stayed at second after Freeman hit an infield single to the left side. Martinez next loaded the bases on a line drive to left field to bring up Folinusz, who beat out the relay at first for an RBI fielder's choice. Sclafani came up next and crushed a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left-center for a three-run homer to put RU up, 5-4.
The Spartans (12-13) threatened in the next inning by put two on with two outs, but head coach Joe Litterio went to the bullpen for senior Ryan Fleming. The left-hander battled to a full count before inducing a grounder to Freeman at first to keep the lead.
However, Schwertfeger connected for a three-run triple in the seventh to give the Spartans a 7-5 edge. Martinez's homer in the eighth then sparked the Scarlet Knights to tie the game and take a deciding advantage.
Game three of the series followed.
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