PHOENIX – Rutgers baseball won Sunday's series finale over Grand Canyon by a score of 18-7 at Brazell Field.
 
The Scarlet Knights (3-4) slugged a season-high seven doubles and scored 11 combined runs in the fifth and sixth innings to overpower the Lopes (5-3).
 
RU struck first in the contest, using an RBI groundout from Pablo Santos in the third. GCU then used a pair of three-run innings to jump ahead 6-1 after four.
 
The Scarlet Knights went to work in the top of the fifth, starting the frame by loading the bases with no outs. Jack Sweeney hit an RBI single for his first career hit to start the rally. Trevor Cohen walked to score one, JT Thompson singled home another and Ty Doucette gave RU the lead with a three-run double to make it 7-6. Peyton Bonds drove in the final run with an RBI triple to center to make it 8-6.
 
While the Lopes were able to get one back on a sac fly in the bottom half, true freshman Luke Fithian came in for his first career appearance and got out of the inning to keep the score at 8-7.
 
A barrage of doubles in the sixth helped Rutgers increase its lead to 12-7. Sweeney led off the frame with a double, followed by three more two-baggers from Santos, Cohen and Thompson. Bonds singled home Thompson later in the inning to make it a five-run advantage.
 
Fithian kept up his stellar work, throwing three more scoreless frames to finish the day with four scoreless, giving up four hits, walking one and striking out four.
 
An RBI double from Nick Tomasetto and sac fly from JD Jones made it 14-7 in the eighth. A Cohen single, balk, Bonds RBI groundout and Tomasetto RBI single pushed it to 18-7.
 
Quinn Berglin tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the victory.
 
Rutgers is back in action for its home opener against St. Joe's on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Bainton Field.

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