LAKEWOOD, N.J. (April 2, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team dropped both ends of a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) doubleheader against Rowan University Saturday at FirstEnergy Park. Runs were at a premium throughout both games as the Profs took the opener by a 3-2 final and won the nightcap, 4-1.
 
Rutgers-Newark drops to 8-13 overall (0-2 NJAC), while Rowan improves to 12-9 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
 
Rowan 3, Rutgers-Newark 2 – Game 1
The pitchers were the story in the early going Saturday, matching zeros for the first four innings before Rowan pushed across three runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Profs got a leadoff double, two Scarlet Raiders errors, an RBI sacrifice bunt and a run-scoring double from senior Brett Phillips in taking a 3-0 lead.
 
After going down in order in the fifth, Rutgers-Newark fought back within one (3-2) with a pair in the sixth.
 
Senior Ryan MacFarlane led off with an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Sophomore center fielder Anthony Perconte was next, lacing a triple to right-center to bring in MacFarlane and he came around to score on a single from sophomore first baseman Ross Halkias.
 
Scarlet Raider starter Mike Zibrin (1-3) suffered a hard-luck loss for a second-straight game, going 7.1 strong innings and giving up three runs (two earned). The sophomore scattered nine hits, walking none and striking out five. Zibrin has gone 14.1 innings over his last two starts, allowing just four earned runs.
 
Rutgers-Newark put a runner on in the seventh and a runner reached second in the ninth, but the Scarlet Raiders could not find the hit they needed to tie the game.
 
Relieving Zibrin in the eighth was sophomore Dominick Fazio who struck out two and did not allow a hit in 1.2 innings of work.
 
Senior Johnny Dunn went the first six for Rowan to earn the win (2-2), and junior Brad Machinski worked the ninth for his third save.
 
Rutgers-Newark totaled nine hits in the opener as Perconte went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, and MacFarlane was 2-for-4 (R). Halkias drove in a run and went 2-for-4 as a total of six different R-N players recorded hits.
 
Second baseman Evan Hughes led Rowan with two hits (2-for-4) as the Profs had nine in the opener.
 
Rowan 4, Rutgers-Newark 1 – Game 2
Rowan took a 1-0 lead by way of a safety squeeze in the top of the second, and Rutgers-Newark answered in the bottom half of the inning with a run. Perconte led off with a walk, and a single from sophomore third baseman Brian Boulineau put runners at the corners with one out. Sophomore left fielder Danny Iannaccone was next, plating Perconte with a fielder's choice groundout to knot the game 1-1.
 
The Profs went back on top by one with a single tally in the third, pushing across two more in the sixth to open a 4-1 edge.
 
MacFarlane started for the Scarlet Raiders, going the first the first six innings, allowing eight hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out six Rowan batters. The senior suffered the loss, falling to 1-2 on the year.
 
Freshman Eric Shugars earned the win for Rowan, allowing one run on four hits over 6.2 innings.
 
Rutgers-Newark put a runner on in the sixth, and two reached in the seventh, but the Rowan pitching and defense did what it had to keep a three-run lead.
 
Junior Vincent Enea did a nice job in relief of MacFarlane, throwing three scoreless innings of relief for the Raiders, giving up just one hit and striking out a pair.
 
An error and a hit batter allowed the tying run to get to the plate for Newark in the bottom half of the ninth, but Rowan closer Corey Feigenbaum induced a groundout to earn his second save of the season.
 
Rutgers-Newark picked up five hits in the second game, as senior right fielder Billy Taylor, sophomore catcher Justin Marks, Halkias, Boulineau and freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker all recorded one.
 
Rutgers-Newark will look to get back in the win column when it visits non-conference foe DeSales University on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. The Scarlet Raiders return to NJAC play in Newark at Riverfront Stadium on Thursday afternoon when they host New Jersey City University (3:30 p.m.).

NOTE: Rutgers-Newark pitching has held the opposition to four runs or less in five of the last six games.