NEWARK, Del. – Rutgers baseball scored early and often in a 27-13 blowout win at Delaware to clinch the weekend series. 

The Scarlet Knights (12-6) scored seven runs in three different innings to blow past the Blue Hens (8-9) and their 29 hits were the most since they had 31 against Fairleigh Dickinson in 2004. 

Despite Delaware taking a 2-0 lead in the first, RU seized control with a seven-spot in the second inning highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Cameron Love, the team's second in as many days. 

A Pete Durocher triple and Ty Doucette single made it 9-2 in the fourth. The Scarlet Knights piled on with seven more in the fifth to push it 16-2 and all but put things away early. 

Josh Kuroda-Grauer opened the scoring in the frame with a three-run home run the other way. Johnny Volpe then singled in the fourth run of the inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, RJ Johnson Jr. roped a double into the gap that cleared the bases and made it 16-2. 

Christian Coppola started for RU and worked around two first inning runs to earn the win and improve to 3-1 on the season. He finished with five innings and gave up two runs on three hits, striking out five and walking six. 

JD Jones entered the game for the Scarlet Knights as a defensive replacement at catcher and made the most of his three at-bats. In his first at-bat of the game, Jones launched a solo home run to left field – the first of his college career. In the eighth, he singled into left to score a pair and give Rutgers a 21-6 lead. In his third and final at-bat in the ninth, Jones doubled to cap off a 3-for-3 day that saw him collect three RBIs and three runs scored while ultimately coming up a triple short of the cycle despite playing just three innings. 

Scotty Young got his first collegiate at-bat in the eighth and picked up an RBI single to right field. In his second at-bat in the ninth, Young added another RBI single to go 2-for-2 on the day. 

Pablo Santos saw his first two plate appearances of the season and drove in a run on a deep sac fly. 

In total, six different RU players had three-hit days: Kuroda-Grauer (5), Trevor Cohen (3), Tony Santa Maria (3), Durocher (3), Jones (3) and Love (3).

The series between Rutgers and Delaware is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.  

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