FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (February 17, 2017) - Senior left fielder Josh Cote doubled home junior catcher Justin Marks with the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Rutgers University-Newark baseball team to a 5-4 win over Stevenson University in the 2017 season opener.
Rutgers-Newark improves to 1-0 overall and will take on Frostburg State University Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. The Scarlet Raiders are playing in the Fayetteville Tournament in North Carolina to begin the season.
After falling behind 3-0 after the top half of the sixth inning, Rutgers-Newark came back, plating four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Three walks loaded the bases for the Scarlet Raiders with just one out, and a walk to veteran Chas Bohannon allowed the first R-N run to cross the plate. Marks came around to score on a wild pitch, and after the Raiders tied the score on an error, a clutch single from sophomore second baseman Ryan Zucker put Rutgers on top 4-3.
The Mustangs would tie the score in the top half of the eighth, but Cote delivered a big-time one-out double that drove home the winning run in the form of Marks who came through with a bunt single to get on base.
Junior Luis Rojas came on for the Scarlet Raiders to earn the save, recording two strikeouts in his first inning of work after missing the 2016 season due to injury. Rojas was able to work around a leadoff walk, getting a big assist from his catcher Marks who cut down a would-be Mustang base stealer.
Sophomore Anthony Rosoline went six solid innings for Rutgers-Newark, striking out five and allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits. He did not walk a batter.
Junior Dan Murphy tossed two innings of relief for the Raiders, striking out two and allowing one run on two hits. He picked up the win.
Stevenson totaled four runs on nine hits and one error, while the Scarlet Raiders scored their five markers on five hits.
Junior first baseman Ross Halkias, Marks, Cote, sophomore shortstop Casey Hanley and Zucker had the Raider hits, with junior center fielder Anthony Perconte, junior right fielder Adam Tricarico and Marks all drawing a pair of walks. Marks scored two runs, with Tricarico, Bohannon and Cote scoring the others.
Fans can follow @ScarletRaiders and @RURaiderbasebal on twitter for updates during Saturday's game against Frostburg State.