NEWARK, NJ - The Rutgers-Newark (2-3) baseball team defeated Stevens, 14-8 in game one of its Saturday afternoon schedule, before falling 14-2 to the United States Coast Guard Academy.
Game 1: Rutgers-Newark 14, Stevens 8
The Rutgers-Newark baseball team secured a 14-8 win over Stevens at home on Saturday at Weequahic Park, cruising to an early lead and holding off a late rally from the visitors.
The Scarlet Raiders wasted no time, jumping on Stevens' pitching early by scoring in the first three innings. A five-run outburst in the bottom of the second gave Rutgers-
Newark a commanding 6-0 lead, and it continued to pour it on, extending its advantage to 11-0 by the end of the fourth inning.
Stevens (1-4) fought back in the sixth, plating three runs to cut the deficit to 11-3. The Mustangs then tacked on four more in the seventh, narrowing the gap further to 11-7.
However, Rutgers-Newark responded with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning, restoring its lead to 14-7.
Stevens added one more run in the eighth, but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback, and the Scarlet Raiders sealed the 14-8 victory.
Matthew King (1-0) earned the win for Rutgers-Newark, delivering a dominant performance on the mound. King pitched 6.0 innings, allowing just five hits, one earned run, and striking out 10 while facing 24 batters. His strong outing was crucial in giving the Scarlet Raiders the cushion they needed to withstand Stevens' late surge.
On the other side, Stevens' Erik Sibbach (0-2) took the loss after struggling to contain Rutgers-Newark's offense. Sibbach allowed nine hits and seven earned runs over 2.0 innings, striking out just one batter while facing 14 hitters.
The win improves Rutgers-Newark's record, as they head into game 2 of the day versus the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Game 2: U.S. Coast Guard Academy 14, Rutgers-Newark 2
In a decisive non-conference match-up, the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) topped Rutgers-Newark 14-2, showing their offensive power and strong pitching in a dominant performance.
USCGA struck first in the opening frame, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Rutgers-Newark quickly answered back in the second, tying the game at 1-1. However, the Bears regained the lead in the third with another run before adding two more in the fourth to take a commanding 4-2 advantage.
Rutgers-Newark cut the deficit to 4-2 with a lone run in the fourth, but that would be the last time they found the scoreboard. USCGA exploded for 10 runs over the next four innings, showcasing their offensive depth and relentless approach at the plate. The Bears were able to spread out their scoring across the lineup, overwhelming Rutgers-Newark in the late innings.
Chase Ostrowski took the mound for Rutgers-Newark and pitched 5.0 innings, allowing five earned runs on nine hits, facing 25 batters and striking out eight. Despite his efforts, the offense and defensive support were unable to provide him much relief, as the Bears' bats came alive.
Vito Giordano earned the win for USCGA, silencing Rutgers-Newark's offense and helping to manage the game with efficient pitching through the middle innings.
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