Box Score LOS ANGELES, CA – Junior righthander Andrew Nasti controlled Occidental for eight innings as Rutgers University-Newark rallied for a 6-3 win over Occidental on Anderson Field to cap their spring break trip to California.

Nasti (2-2) scattered 11 hits while striking out eight and walking three in eight full innings before turning the game over to senior Jimmy Napolitano who survived a scare in the bottom of the ninth.

The Raiders took the lead in the sixth inning, 4-3, with the help of two errors by the Tigers.  Napolitano, who started in right field, walked and freshman pinch hitter Jeff Reinecke was hit by a pitch, sophomore centerfielder Ryan MacFarlane dropped down a bunt single to load the bases.  Junior designated hitter Rowland Goodman's ground ball to third was misplayed pushing across the first two Raider runs.  After a strikeout, sophomore second baseman Gerry Patrizio dropped down a squeeze bunt to the pitcher to knot the score.  Rutgers-Newark went ahead on an error by the pitcher off of the bat of junior outfielder Jason McCluskey.

Rutgers-Newark tacked on a run in the seventh when junior third baseman Nick Gencarelli singled, stole second and scored on a single to center field by Goodman.

In the eighth, Patrizio double down the left field line, was bunted to third by McCluskey and scored on a single through the left side by Gencarelli to push the Raider lead to 6-3.

Nasti was the pivot in a key defensive play in the eighth.  With two away and runners on first and second, shortstop Riley Smith singled through the left side, but sophomore leftfielder Cameron Dias threw in to Nasti who nailed second baseman Charlie Cacca at the plate.

In the ninth, Napolitano gave up a lead-off single to third baseman A.J. Libuano and a 1-out walk to leftfielder Chris Strain to bring the potential tying run to the plate.  The right-handed closer got a ground ball back to the mound for a the second out at first before coaxing catcher Victor Munoz to lift the final-out fly ball to right field.

Gencarelli, Goodwin and Patrizio had two hits each in the Raiders' 8-hit attack while Smith went four for five to pace Occidental's 12-hit total.

The win snapped a 5-game losing streak for the Raiders dating back to Nasti's last start in a 7-1 win over Redlands on Tuesday.  The team went 3-7 during is spring trip.

Rutgers-Newark (4-11) returns home to face Baruch College in the MCU Park in Coney Island at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.  The game, originally set for Bears & Eagle Riverfront Stadium, was moved to the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones because of field conditions.