NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark scored three runs on wild pitches in the bottom of the sixth inning to down Baruch College, 7-4, in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Senior centerfielder Chris Ballester had a monster game by going three for three with a triple, a 3-run home run, two walks and three runs scored, but it was four wild pitches by Bearcat starting pitcher Alex Lopez in the bottom of the sixth which spelled the difference.

Raider junior second baseman Nelson Lopez walked and sophomore leftfielder Jason McCluskey beat out a slow roller to first to start the sixth before Ballester was walked intentionally after the Baruch pitcher uncorked his first wild pitch to open first base.  With sophomore first baseman Vin Troisi at the plate, Alex Lopez threw wildly twice to bring home Nelson Lopez and McCluskey.  Then with two out and senior third baseman Tim Miller at the plate, Ballester scored on the fourth wild pitch of the inning to give the Raiders a 7-3 lead.

The wild inning made a winning pitcher out of junior Matt Larangera (3-2) who replaced senior starter Connor Medler in the top of the fourth after Medler had retired the only nine men that he faced while posting four strikeouts.  Larangera gave up three runs on five hits while striking out three and walking two in three full innings of relief.

Ballester tripled to lead off the third and scored on a single to center field by Troisi to stake Rutgers-Newark to the early lead before the Bearcats answered with a run in the top of the fourth.

Ballester drilled a 3-run line drive home run over the rightfield wall in the fourth after to put the Raiders ahead for good at 4-1.

After a double steal with two outs by Baruch sophomore outfielder John Yuksekol and junior catcher Thommy DeJesus, sophomore shortstop Ricky Gerbino laced a 2-run single to left centerfield to trim the Raider lead to 4-3 in the fifth.

After the bizarre 3-run Raider rally put Rutgers-Newark back in control, the Bearcats scored an unearned run against junior reliever Michael Schneider in the seventh before he notched a strikeout and coaxed a ground ball to second to leave the bases loaded.

Seniors Anthony Palladino and Nick Evans pitched the eighth and ninth, respectively, with each allowing one hit before getting ending-inning ground ball double plays.  Evans posted his fourth save of the season.

Rutgers-Newark opens New Jersey Athletic Conference play with a doubleheader against New Jersey City at noon on Saturday in the stadium.