Highlights
NEWARK, N.J. (April 26, 2017) – Junior
Brian Boulineau hit two homers, including a grand slam, and senior
Josh Cote went deep and finished with three hits as the Rutgers University-Newark baseball team earned a 13-5 non-conference win over John Jay College Wednesday at Riverfront Stadium.
With the win, Rutgers-Newark improves to 22-10-1 overall, and the Scarlet Raiders return to the diamond Thursday with a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) showdown against Stockton University. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. from Riverfront Stadium in Newark.
Prepare for Take-off! Rutgers-Newark connected on four homers Wednesday – two from Boulineau, one from Cote and one from junior
Ross Halkias.
The Bloodhounds (11-19) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, but Rutgers-Newark came right back in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead thanks to a towering two-run homer from Cote. It was his team-high fifth home run of the season and second in four games at Riverfront.
Scarlet Raider freshman starter
Jason Palmeri sent down the Bloodhounds in order in the fourth, and Newark added to its lead with two runs on three hits. Freshman designated hitter
Colin Powers doubled, freshman second baseman
JC Ball singled and sophomore shortstop
Ryan Zucker (FC) and Cote (1B) both drove in the runs.
Boulineau cleared the fence in left for the fifth Scarlet Raider run of the day with one out in the fifth inning. It was the third-year man's second round-tripper of the season.
Cote's third hit plated Zucker who led off the sixth frame with a single, putting the Scarlet Raiders on top by five runs, but the lead would shrink to two (6-4) in the top of the seventh when the Bloodhounds scored three runs on two hits and an error.
The Scarlet Raiders got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Boulineau walked and stole second, and he was bunted to third with one out by junior first baseman
Ross Halkias. Powers was next, cashing the RBI opportunity with a groundout to give Rutgers-Newark a three-run cushion.
Reliever
Dan Murphy – who came on in the seventh – pitched a flawless eighth inning, sending down the Hounds in order with just 10 pitches.
After junior center fielder
Anthony Perconte singled home the first R-N run of the eighth, Boulineau followed with his second homer of the game – a no-doubt grand slam over the left-field wall for his third of the season on a 2-2 pitch. Halkias went back-to-back with Boulineau for his fourth blast of the year, clearing the left-field wall on a 2-2 pitch as well.
Rutgers scored its 13 runs on 12 hits, and the Scarlet Raiders were led by Boulineau and Cote who combined for nine RBI. Boulineau went 2-for-4 with five RBI, three runs and two homers, and Cote went 3-for-5 with two runs, four RBI and a homer. Zucker went 3-for-5 with three runs and an RBI.
Palmeri picked up the win – improving to 2-0 on the season – with his second-straight quality start. The rookie went 6.2 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out five. Murphy tossed the final three innings for Rutgers-Newark to pick up his first save of the season. The junior allowed one run, no hits and struck out two in what was his second-straight excellent performance on the Riverfront Stadium mound.
Notes:
-Rutgers-Newark did not score a run in the first or second inning, but ended the contest scoring at least once in six-straight frames.
-Boulineau, Cote and Zucker combined for eight hits, eight runs and 10 RBI Wednesday.
-The Scarlet Raiders have scored seven runs or more in 20 games this season.
