PISCATAWAY, NJ—Rutgers took a quick lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed, but the Scarlet Knights never led by much, either, on their way a 5-3 baseball win over visiting NJIT Monday afternoon.
Monday's win on Bainton Field at Rutgers lifted the Scarlet Knights to 6-14. As is frequently the case, this time of year, the record is deceiving, as RU played most of its games away against top programs based in the southern United States. The game vs. NJIT was just the second at home for Rutgers.
NJIT's record is 6-7 following the loss.
Down 2-0 after an inning, NJIT got a run in the top of the third, but Rutgers answered in kind for a 3-1 lead after three.
The Scarlet Knights tacked on another run in the fourth for a 4-1 lead, but the Highlanders got two of their own in the top of the sixth inning to tighten the score to 4-3, but RU added a run in the bottom of the frame. The teams went scoreless after the sixth inning, leaving Rutgers on top.
Each team used three pitchers, with Rutgers starter Kevin Baxter (1-0) earning the win after pitching 5.2 innings and allowing all three NJIT runs on 9 hits. He struck out two and walked one. Relievers Colin Bohnert and Kyle Driscoll combined to shut out the Highlanders on one hit and a walk over the final 3.1 innings. Driscoll was credited with his first save after working the last two innings.
Freshman RHP
Johnny Malatesta (2-1) started and took the loss for NJIT after allowing four hits and four runs in four innings.
Senior LHP
Tyler Kapp pitched two innings and allowed an unearned run and freshman RHP
John Saviano pitched two innings and allowed two hits without a run.
Rutgers had eight hits, all from eight different players, and seven were singles except a triple for 1B Joe D'Annunzio. RF Tom Marcinczyk had a single and a sacrifice fly, finishing with three runs batted in.
NJIT had 10 hits, all singles, led by 3B
Mike Rampone (3-for-4), followed by CF
Ed Charlton (2-for-4) and LF
Matt McKinnon (2-for-3, RBI).
Rampone, batting .451 for the season, has had just one hitless game all year and has 12 hits in the last five games. McKinnon, a freshman from Long Island, had one run batted in for NJIT and SS
Bryan Haberstroh (0-for-2) had the other Highlander RBI on a sacrifice fly,
The first two Rutgers batters of the day, CF Mike Carter and D'Annunzio, reached base on a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively. The two then pulled off a double steal and they each scored on Marcinczyk's two-run single.
NJIT got on the board in the third when Malatesta helped himself with a one-out single and RF
Jesse Uttendorfer got down a bunt single. The two moved up a base on a balk and Malatesta scored on Haberstroh's sac fly.
Rutgers answered in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly of its own; D'Annunzio hit a one-out triple and came in on Marcinczyk's sacrifice fly.
Another sac fly gave Rutgers a run in the bottom of the fourth with SS Christian Campell coming in on C Chris Folinusz' fly out.
The Highlanders got back in contention with two runs in the top of the sixth inning, but it could have done more. The first three batters-Rampone, Charlton and 1B
Stephan Halibej—all singled. Rampone came in from third base during a ground-out double play and McKinnon hit a two-out single to drive in Charlton with what would be the last run for NJIT.
Clinging to its slim 4-3 lead, RU scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Highlanders are off now until a four-game home weekend series against LIU Brooklyn, starting with a 3 pm Friday game at Riverfront Stadium.
The teams are then slated for a noon doubleheader on Saturday and then a single game at noon on Sunday.
