Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark lost a 17-10 slugfest to Old Westbury in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in a game that featured 27 hits and 14 pitchers.

The Scarlet Raiders used 23 players, including nine pitchers, while the Panthers (12-12) employed five pitchers among their 18 players in the 3-hour, 27-minute marathon.

Sophomore first baseman Graham Commesso and freshmen Michael Murray, Ryan Macfarlane and Cameron Dias paced the Raiders' 13-hit attack with two hits each. 

Senior second baseman Steve Mare went three for five while five other Panthers notched two hits apiece in their 14-hit parade.

Old Westbury erupted for six runs on just three hits as Rutgers-Newark committed four errors in the third inning to put the Raiders in a 7-0 hole.

After junior rightfielder Jimmy Napolitano doubled to lead off the fourth inning and scored on a ground ball to first off the bat of sophomore catcher Chris Schultz for the Raiders' first run, Old Westbury exploded for eight runs on six hits in the top of the fifth to make it 15-1.

Rutgers-Newark clawed back with three runs in the fifth against winning pitcher Frank DiMaria (3-1).  Macfarlane doubled to lead off the inning before coming home on a single through the right side by Murray.  A double by junior shortstop Kevin Olah put runners on second and third to set up a 2-RBI right to right center field by Commesso.

Freshman second baseman Gerry Patrizio singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single through the left side by Murray in the six to shrink the deficit to 15-5.

Dias, Commesso and junior leftfielder Vin Troisi singled to start off the 5-run seventh inning whittled the Panther lead to five runs.

But the Raider rally stalled in the eighth after Dias singled and Commesso walked to open the inning.  Old Westbury closer Stephen Chapter came on to strike out four of the six batters that he faced to put down the uprising.

Rutgers-Newark (7-18) hosts Kean University at Riverfront Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday before visiting the Cougars in Union on Friday at the same time to complete the NJAC regular-season home-and-away series.  On Saturday, Rutgers-Newark “hosts” Rowan in a conference doubleheader at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island.  The first pitch is set for 10 a.m.