JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 10, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team notched a thrilling come-from-behind walkoff win today for its third victory in a row, defeating visiting Alvernia University 4-3 in 11 innings. The Scarlet Raiders improve to 9-15 while the Golden Wolves drop to 18-9.
R-N got the majority of its offense very late in the contest beginning when the home team was down to its final three outs.
Facing the Alvernia closer, junior
Dominic Magliaro started things off by getting plunked and quickly moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Sophomore
Kevin Tamsula was next and he reached on a grounder to third that the fielder allowed to fall out of his glove before making the throw across the diamond, leading to two runners on with no outs.
Both runners advanced on another wild pitch, setting up pinch-hitting senior
Ross Halkias with one out and the chance to tie the game with a single. Halkias delivered, drilling the ball into the right-center field gap for a two-RBI double to tie the game at 3-3.
Alvernia got junior
Ryan Zucker to line into a double play to end the inning but the damage was done as the teams moved into free baseball.
In the bottom of the 11
th inning it was a few more offensive changes for Head Coach
Mark Rizzi that proved to be the difference. Senior
Anthony Perconte pinch-hit and worked a walk to lead off the frame. Then, with Perconte already on the move, sophomore
John Klimowich drove a single into right-center that moved Perconte all the way to third.
Rizzi's final move of the game came when he sent in rookie
Chris Suleski to pinch-hit. Klimowich advanced to second on catcher's indifference, setting up Suleski with two runners in scoring position and no outs. The freshman delivered, lifting a sacrifice fly to shallow left-center that Perconte just beat out by sliding past the tag.
Sophomore
Michael Katims earned the win after coming on in relief, hurling five innings of one-hit shutout ball while walking two and striking out three to improve to 2-0 on the season. Classmate Jason Palmieri started and threw a solid six frames allowing three runs on four hits, walking three and striking out three.
Nine different Scarlet Raiders recorded a hit led by Halkias' two-run double.
Newark's late rally spoiled a great outing from Alvernia starter Zack Landy who went seven strong innings allowing just one run on five hits while walking three and fanning seven batters.
The Raiders return to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play on Thursday with the first of two consecutive contests at William Paterson starting at 3:30 p.m.
