PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 15, 2022) – The No. 22 Rutgers baseball team use a combination of clutch hitting and elite defense to defeat Indiana 5-3 at Bainton Field for its 13^th consecutive win.
 
The Scarlet Knights now hold the longest active winning streak in the country.
 
Despite not leading until there were two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, a number of clutch defensive plays allowed RU to remain in the game and set up the late rally.
 
Chris Brito turned a rare 3-6-1 double play in the first inning, Tony Santa Maria robbed IU of an RBI with a diving catch on a line drive to end the third and Ryan Lasko threw out a runner at home plate in the eighth inning that would have giving the Hoosiers a 4-2 lead.

You don't have the longest winning streak in the country without an elite defense.

Our defensive highlights from today are INSANE 🔒🔒🔒 pic.twitter.com/tJSgU4eGlT

— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 15, 2022

 
"The guys value defense," head coach Steve Owens said. "They work at it every day and it's been a big part of our success."
 
Jared Kollar delivered another quality start for Rutgers, going 6.0 innings and allowing 2 runs (1 ER), while striking out five batters. He exited after putting on two batters to start the seventh. Sam Bello came on in relief and yielded a sac fly but prevented further damage in the frame.
 
After each of Indiana's runs, solo home runs by Nick Cimillo (fifth inning) and Ryan Lasko (seventh inning) would tie the game at 1-1 and 2-2.
 
In a 2-2 game in the top of the eighth, Indiana loaded the bases with no outs and threatened to break the game open. After a force out at home to get one out, Hunter Jessee singled up the middle to give the Hoosiers the lead. Pinch runner Ethan Vecrumba tested Lasko's arm and tried to score, but Lasko gunned him down at the plate, with Nick Cimillo making the tag to keep the IU scoring at just 1 run.
 
In the bottom of the eight, the Scarlet Knights seized control of the game, thanks to a good approach at the plate and a couple of Hoosier miscues.
 
Danny DiGeorgio was hit in the rear to lead off the inning. Chris Brito then hit a high fly ball to deep center field that the IU center fielder simply dropped. Mike Nyisztor bunted up the first base line to move the runners up, but Indiana's first baseman held onto the ball instead of throwing it to first, allowing everyone to be safe and load the bases with nobody out.
 
Josh Kuroda-Grauer would tie the game on a sac fly to straightaway center field, scoring DiGeorgio. After a Jordan Sweeney walk and Ryan Lasko strikeout, it came down to Evan Sleight with the bases loaded and two outs in a tie game.
 
In a lefty-lefty matchup, Sleight got the better of the Indiana pitcher and drove a single the other way into left field, scoring Chris Brito and Mike Nyisztor and giving Rutgers a 5-3 lead.
 
"He had a great approach on that at-bat and that was the at-bat that counted for him today," Owens said. "You can't be great in every at-bat. They're good pitchers and they're a good team. He came up with a big hit at the right time."
 
Dale Stanavich did his job in the top of the ninth, tossing a 1-2-3 inning for his Big Ten-leading eighth save of the season.
 
"It was a well-pitched game," Owens said. "There were five or six game-changing defensive plays and that was the difference today."

 

SCORING

UP NEXT

Rutgers will play the second game of its series against Indiana tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Bainton Field. 
 
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