WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Rutgers baseball dropped its midweek contest at Monmouth by a score of 13-2 on Tuesday afternoon in West Long Branch.
 
The Scarlet Knights (17-20) were unable to climb out of an early 8-0 hole and lost to the Hawks (18-19) for the first time since 2016
 
Despite RU putting on two with no outs in the top of the first, a strikeout and double play ended the frame with no runs. 

Monmouth then jumped ahead with a pair of runs in the first on an RBI single and groundout. The Hawks added four more in the second on a pair of doubles and a sac fly. After two more crossed in the third on a pair of singles and an error, the score was 8-0. 
 
After jumping out to an early lead, MU's pitchers stifled the Rutgers lineup with seven straight scoreless frames to start off the game. 

The Hawks would pile on five more in the fifth to make it 13-0. 

RU was able to get on the board in the eighth on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and RBI groundout, but that was all the scoring for the Scarlet Knights. 

Ryan Bradley made his Rutgers debut in the seventh, picking up a strikeout in a scoreless frame. Tyler Kane struck out a pair in the eighth, the first being his first collegiate strikeout. 

Additionally, Mark Gialluisi connected with his first collegiate hit on a single in the ninth inning. 

Rutgers returns to action with a three-game series against Minnesota, with game one set for 6 p.m. Friday at Bainton Field. 

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