Box Score

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Rutgers baseball scored first, but Iowa rallied for six unanswered runs on the way to taking the series opener, 8-3, Friday at Banks Field. It was the first conference road game for the Scarlet Knights this season, also marking the ninth different Big Ten venue visited since joining the league.

The second game of the three-game set is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

Senior Mike Carter collected three more hits to raise his conference-leading batting average to .404 and register his 17th multiple-hit game of the year. He has totaled 10 hits in three games so far this week. Sophomore Nick Matera added two singles and a run, while senior Tom Marcinczyk contributed an RBI single and drew a walk. Overall, RU (13-22, 2-5) totaled nine base hits and left eight men on base.

On the mound, senior Gaby Rosa (3-4) had his longest start against a Big Ten opponent this season with six innings worked. The right-hander picked up nine outs in the air in the outing. Senior Colin Bohnert logged a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, as sophomore Kevin Romero picked a runner off second to eliminate an inherited runner in the eighth.

Nick Gallagher (5-1) picked up the win for Iowa (23-13, 6-4) with five hits and two runs allowed over six-plus innings. Zach Daniels pitched the last three innings for his first save of the season. The hosts recorded 12 hits, with Matt Hoeg notching a game-high four RBIs.

The Scarlet Knights jumped on top on a two-out RBI single by Marcinczyk in the top of the first. With one out, sophomore Jawuan Harris drew and walk and stole his 20th base of the season. Marcinczyk came up two batters later and laced a hit to right field that easily sent Harris home.

Rosa pitched a scoreless first, but the Hawkeyes used a two-run double by Hoeg in the second and a two-run home run by Ben Neustrom in the third to build a 4-1 lead. Then with two outs in the sixth, Hoeg connected for a two-run shot to make it a five-run game.

The Scarlet Knights chipped back with one run in the seventh. Sophomore Luke Bowerbank drew a leadoff walk and Matera struck a single to force a pitching change. After an out, freshman Kevin Welsh came through with an RBI single to center field. Harris later picked up a walk to load the bases, but nothing else came across.

After that, Iowa tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh claim a six-run lead. The Scarlet Knights would score one in the ninth on an RBI single by Carter before Daniels closed it out.

Sophomore Serafino Brito will take the ball for Rutgers in game two of the series, which will air nationally on Big Ten Network Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

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