NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (February 19, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team was defeated 8-6 by Christopher Newport University in the 2016 season-opener for the Scarlet Raiders.
CNU improves to 3-0 on the young season, while the Scarlet Raiders fall to 0-1. R-N and Newport will return to the diamond Saturday at 1 p.m. before the Raiders close the weekend against the City College of New York Sunday at 11 a.m.
A five-run first inning gave the Scarlet Raiders the upper hand early. Senior right fielder Billy Taylor started the inning with a double down the left-field line, and sophomore catcher Justin Marks worked a one-out walk. Senior first baseman Cameron Dias was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and freshman designated hitter Ross Halkias was hit by a pitch to plate the first run of the inning. Junior left fielder Josh Cote followed and he too was hit by a pitch to bring in another run and force a pitching chance for the Captains.
With a new pitcher on the hill, senior center fielder Ryan MacFarlane delivered a two-run single to put his team up 4-0, and Cote scored the fifth run on a run-scoring groundout from senior third baseman Brian Kokos.
CNU came back with two runs in the bottom half of the second inning thanks to a pair of solo homers and pushed across one more in the third to make it a 5-3 game. The hosts had the bases loaded with one out after already scoring in the third, but senior starting pitcher Chris Nichols induced a huge inning-ending 6-3 double play to keep his time up two.
Freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker picked up his first career hit to lead off the top of the fourth, but was eventually stranded on third, and a solo homer to lead off the bottom half made it a one-run game (5-4). Christopher Newport scored three more times in the fourth to take a 7-5 lead.
MacFarlane led off the sixth inning with a base knock, stole second and then advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on a passed ball to bring the Scarlet Raiders within one run, and Taylor – who came on in relief to start the fifth – tossed a second-straight scoreless frame to keep it a 7-6 game heading into the seventh inning.
Rutgers-Newark had the tying and leading runs on base in the seventh with two outs but could not capitalize, and Christopher Newport pushed across an insurance run in the bottom of the inning with a two-out double to left.
The CNU reliever Caleb Myers retired the final six Scarlet Raiders in the game to earn his first save of the season, and Austin Slough – who relieved starter Blake Ream with 3.2 scoreless innings – earned the win (1-0).
Nichols took the loss (0-1) on the mound, going the first four innings. Taylor tossed the final four, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two.
MacFarlane led the Raider sticks, going 2-for-3 with two runs batted in, a walk and a run scored. Taylor went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run, and Dias was 1-for-3 with a run scored. Halkias had a walk, an RBI and a run scored, and Zucker went 1-for-4 in his collegiate debut as R-N totaled five hits.
CNU had 13 hits, hitting three homers, two of which came from sophomore catcher Brandon Walker who went 3-for-4. Senior right fielder Tommy Vitaletti went 5-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in an excellent performance for the Captains.