PISCATAWAY, NJ—Rutgers never trailed after scoring three first-inning runs, but it was a seven-run sixth inning that removed all doubts for the Scarlet Knights Wednesday afternoon in a 13-3 eight-inning baseball win over visiting NJIT.

Rutgers (5-5) had 12 hits, including three doubles in the game. Freshman CF Brian O'Grady, batting leadoff, had three hits, while three Scarlet Knights collected two hits apiece. Junior 1B Russ Hopkins had a pair of doubles in a 2-for-3 day. Hopkins drove in two runs for Rutgers, as did sophomore C Jeff Melillo and junior 2B Dan Perrine.

NJIT (2-4) got two of its runs in the second inning on the first college home run for freshman RF Matt Weckerle, who was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Matt Tomczyk (2-for-3) had the only multi-hit day for the Highlanders.

The winning pitcher for Rutgers was the starter, junior RHP Willie Beard (1-0), who pitched 7 innings and scattered 6 hits, allowing 3 runs, while striking out 7 and walking one. Freshman RHP Joe Esposito closed the game with a scoreless eighth inning.

Sophomore LHP Tripp Davis (1-2) started and took the loss for the Highlanders after allowing 4 earned runs (5 total) in 4 innings. He was relieved by Kyle Burdi, who allowed an unearned run in the fifth inning before being charged with the first five of Rutgers' seven runs in the sixth. Mark Leiter Jr pitched the last 2 innings and allowed 2 runs.

Rutgers, which came into the game having gone 1-2 at Miami (FL) and 0-3 at Georgia Tech, but 3-0 in Florida against Michigan, took control of its home opener against NJIT early with a 3-run first inning, keyed by a 2-run double for Hopkins.

The Highlanders got on the board in the next half-inning when Tomczyk stole home on the front end of a runners-on-first-and-third double steal.

Rutgers made it 5-1 with two runs (one earned) in the bottom of the second, before Weckerle answered with his two-run shot that scored Teddy Bickert, who had singled with one out ahead of the freshman.

The Scarlet Knights tacked on another run in the fifth and then exploded for seven more in the bottom of the sixth inning. Four Knights reached base before the Highlanders could record an out and Perrine later hit a one-out, two-run double for his team's sixth and seventh runs of the frame.

NJIT's next scheduled action is on Tuesday at 3 pm against Manhattan in Newark at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.