WHITTIER, Calif. (March 18, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team was topped by Whittier College Sunday in the Scarlet Raiders' California finale.
 
Rutgers-Newark was able to come back from an early 3-1 deficit, but single tallies in the second and fifth for the Poets were enough. Rutgers-Newark falls to 5-8 on the season, while Whittier improves to 12-9. The Scarlet Raiders will return to action Thursday against St. Joe's – Brooklyn at Riverfront Stadium in Newark.
 
Senior Adam Tricarico hit three homers Saturday evening and drove in senior Brian Boulineau with the first run of the game in the top of the first.
 
Whitter took a 3-1 lead with three scores in the bottom half, but Newark would answer with two in the top of the second to tie the game at three. Senior Justin Marks led off with a walk, and sophomore JC Ball singled with one out to put runners at the corners. Senior Joe Biggiani brought in Marks with a base knock, and Boulineau singled with two outs to bring around Ball with the equalizer.
 
The Poets scored one run on four hits to reclaim the lead in the bottom half of inning number two, with junior Ryan Zucker cutting down a run at the plate with a throw from left field.
 
Whittier took the final margin in the fifth on a homer off the bat of Mike Angulo. The Scarlet Raiders had two runners on in the seventh with one out and one on with two down in the ninth,
 
Junior Anthony Rosoline did an excellent job in relief for Rutgers-Newark, throwing the final 6.2 innings after coming on in the top of the second. He struck out one and allowed one earned run, scattering three hits.
 
Newark totaled six hits in the game, getting two from Zucker (2-for-5), and one from Boulineau, Biggiani, Tricarico and Ball. Biggiani also worked a team-high two walks.
 
Angulo led a 10-hit Poet attack, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.