WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Rutgers-Newark erupted for seven runs in the third inning to defeat Framingham State, 8-2, in a weather-shortened contest that ended after the top of the sixth inning on Monday afternoon.
After falling behind 1-0 in the opening inning, the Scarlet Raiders answered in the second when Gilroy Prial delivered an RBI double to even the score.
Rutgers-Newark broke the game open in the third, sending 11 batters to the plate. Joseph Bernardo sparked the rally with a two-run double, followed by RBI hits from Trevor Wallace and Damon Rivera to extend the lead. The biggest blow came off the bat of Liam Riley, whose three-run home run capped off the big third inning and pushed the advantage to 8-1.
Framingham State added a solo home run in the fifth, but could not recover after the Scarlet Raiders' decisive third inning.
At the plate, Rutgers-Newark totaled 10 hits, with Bernardo and Rivera each collecting two. Riley drove in a game-high three runs, while Prial, Wallace, and Rivera each added an RBI. On the mound, Joey Santi improved to 3-0, tossing five innings while allowing two runs on four hits and striking out four.
With the win, Rutgers-Newark improves to 5-6 on the season and will look to carry the momentum into tomorrow's matchup against Mount Saint Vincent as its spring break trip continues.
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