Box Score

HOBOKEN, NJ – All the runs came in the early innings in a cold and windy season-opening 3-2 loss for Rutgers University-Newark against Stevens on Dobbelaar Field.
 
Scarlet Raider senior right-hander Andrew Nasti gave up just three hits and a walk in five full innings of work, but two of the hits and the walk came in the Ducks' 3-run second inning.  That outburst held up on a bitter day down near the Hudson River.
 
The Raiders posted the first run in the top of the second when sophomore designated hitter Gerry DeFilippo drew a one-out walk, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield error off the bat of sophomore leftfielder Josh Cote.
 
After a lead-off walk to senior first baseman Nicholas Sieber and double to centerfield by sophomore third baseman Zeph Walters put runners on second and third, Sieber got around the catcher's tag at home plate on a chopper to the right side off the bat of senior catcher Gregg Nichols to ignite the decisive Stevens rally.  A ground out to first base and a sacrifice fly to right field by senior Marc Calleo produced all the runs that the Ducks would need.
 
Sophomore first baseman Chas Bohannon trimmed the Raider deficit to one with a lead-off home run to right field in the third, but neither team would push another run across to plate.
 
Rutgers-Newark got runners to second base after lead-off singles in the sixth and seventh innings.  Freshman centerfielder Anthony Perconte singled to center and advanced on a wild pitch with no one away in the sixth.  In the seventh, junior rightfielder Cameron Dias singled through the left side to lead things off, but back-to-back strikeouts left him at first until senior third baseman Nick Gencarelli drew a walk to put him in scoring position.  But Duck senior reliever Pierce Marston struck out his third batter of the inning to kill the Raiders' last viable threat.
 
Nasti struck out three against the three hits and a walk before giving way to senior righty Shane Nolan.  Nolan blanked Stevens on one hit while striking out one and walking three in three innings of work.
 
Stevens junior starter Robert Robbins picked up the win by allowing just two hits while striking out eight over six full innings of work.
 
Rutgers-Newark is slated to play Mount St. Mary on Tuesday and CCNY on Wednesday, but the closure for next week of Diamond Nation in Flemington because of field conditions has forced Raider head coach Mark Rizzi to search for an alternate facility for the contests.
 
The Raiders head to California next week with eight games scheduled during the spring break beginning on March 13 at the University of Redlands.