OMAHA, Neb. (May 26, 2022) – The Rutgers baseball team made a strong impression in its first-ever Big Ten Tournament game, riding a dominant bullpen and 5-run seventh inning to a 10-3 victory over Purdue on Thursday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field. 

Sam Portnoy (2.2 IP), Garrett French (1.1 IP) and Dale Stanavich (W, 2.2 IP) shut down the Boilermaker lineup for 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing the RU lineup to erase a 3-1 deficit and score 9 unanswered runs to start the tournament on the right foot. 

"Sam's been awesome. If you've paying attention to the last month of the season, that kid has been locked in and lights out," head coach Steve Owens said of Sam Portnoy. "He's different, he gives us a different look and he's done awesome.

"Purdue threw probably 150 sliders today. We chased some early in the game. The second and third time through the lineup, the guys did a better job," Owens said. "We took some walks and then we got some hits in key spots. You can't swing at balls and score runs. I think guys were amped up a little bit and then they did a pretty good job of settling into the game."

With the win, the Scarlet Knights advance in the winner's bracket and will take on Penn State tomorrow at approximately 2 p.m. EST.

Ryan Lasko wasted no time in his first-career postseason at bat, as he crushed a ball over the wall in deep left-center field for a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the first. 

The Boilermakers had a quick answer, as they hit a 2-run home run and RBI groundout to take a 3-1 in the top of the second. In the bottom of the frame, RU put two men on for Mike Nyisztor, who lofted a double into left field to tie the game at 3-3. 

Both pitching staffs would settle in, with four straight scoreless frames being posted from the 3rd through 6th innings.

In the seventh inning, the Scarlet Knights finally broke through, making Purdue pitching pay for issuing a number of free passes. 

After Ryan Lasko, Nick Cimillo and Chris Brito all walked to load the bases, Evan Sleight drew another walk on a full count to bring home Lasko and make it 4-3. Tony Santa Maria then ripped an infield single off the diving third baseman. After Richie Schiekofer hit an RBI groundout, Josh Kuroda-Grauer single into left field to score 2 runs and make it 8-3.

Sleight would lace a 2-run double into the right field corner to make it 10-3 in the eighth, all while Dale Stanavich was shutting down the Boilermaker bats. 

Stanavich entered to get the last two outs of the top of the seventh before pitching scoreless eighth and ninth innings to earn the win. 
   
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