NEWARK, N.J. (April 11, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team improved to 3-3 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) with a 15-8 win over New Jersey City University Monday afternoon at Riverfront Stadium.
 
After dropping its first two NJAC games of the season against Rowan University, Rutgers-Newark has won 3-of-4 in the conference to get back to .500. The Scarlet Raiders are 11-15 overall.
 
NJCU drops to 0-4 in the NJAC and 13-8 overall as the Scarlet Raiders took both games in this year's home-and-home series, previously winning 3-0 Friday night.
 
Rutgers-Newark struck first for a fourth-straight conference game and did so in a big way, chasing NJCU starter Mike Ramirez after just 1.1 innings and totaling seven runs on six hits in the second. Sophomore center fielder Anthony Perconte led off the inning with a single, and promptly swiped one of three bags in the inning to get into scoring position. Sophomore catcher Justin Marks walked, and a single from sophomore third baseman Brian Boulineau brought in Perconte. Junior left fielderJosh Cote was next, doubling to right-center to put his team up 3-0, stealing third and crossing the plate on a run-scoring groundout from freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker.
 
With nobody on and one out, senior right fielder Billy Taylor walked and senior shortstop Gerry Patrizio singled to center in front of a run-scoring base hit off the bat of senior pitcher Ryan MacFarlane. MacFarlane immediately stole second, with Patrizio coming in to score on the throw, and Perconte's second hit of the inning plated MacFarlane to give R-N a 7-0 lead.
 
The Gothic Knights' Joe Coutinho walked, stole two bases and scored on a balk to get NJCU on the board in the third, but R-N answered with four more in the third to open an 11-1 lead. Rutgers-Newark totaled four hits and was assisted by two NJCU errors. Boulineau, Taylor, Patrizio and Dias all had hits with Patrizio and Dias each delivering two-run singles.
 
R-N added one in the fourth on an infield single from Patrizio, and MacFarlane helped his cause with a run-scoring base hit to left field with two outs in the sixth.
 
MacFarlane went six solid innings for the Scarlet Raiders, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He struck out four and walked two, improving to 2-2 on the year. He also went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI at the plate.
 
Rutgers-Newark scored its final two runs in the eighth, getting a single from sophomore Danny Iannaccone, a run-scoring triple from freshman Casey Hanley and a RBI single up the middle from freshman Nolan Rivera. R-N's final line was 15 runs on 21 hits.
 
Taylor went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and walk, and Patrizio was 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI. Perconte was 2-for-4 with a walk, run and RBI, Boulineau went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI and Cote was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. A total of 12 R-N players had a hit in the game and nine drove in runs.
 
Sophomore Anthony Hernandez went the final three innings for the Scarlet Raiders in relief, giving up just one earned run (four total) and three hits.
 
Rutgers-Newark visits Alvernia University Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference game.

Note: Ryan MacFarlane and Anthony Perconte combined for seven of R-N's nine steals in the game.Justin Marks cut down two potential NJCU base stealers, including ending the game on one.
 
Rutgers-Newark Top Scoring Games – 2016
16 runs – March 31 – Lehman (W 16-3)
15 – NJCU – April 11 (W 15-8)
11 – PSU-Abington – March (W 11-1)
10 – Chapman – March 13 (W 10-7)
10 – Christopher Newport – February 20 (L 10-18)