Columbia
Rutgers
Rutgers Breaks 4-4 Deadlock in the Eighth Inning to Top Columbia, 5-4
4/6/2011 6:20:00 PM | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Columbia led 4-2 after six innings but Rutgers tied the game with two runs in the seventh and went ahead in the eighth on a wiild pitch with two outs to capture a 5-4 victory at Bainton Field on a cool, cloudy Wednesday afternoon.
The Lions gained a 2-0 edge in the first, sparked by consecutive one-out singles by Jon EIsen and Dario Pizzano. Alexander Aurrichio's double brought home Eisen and Pizzano scored on a Nick Ferraresi groundout.
Rutgers came back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the first on a Nick Favaletta two-run home run as the score remained 2-2 until the Lions' half of the fifth.
With Alex Ferrera at third base and one out, Nick Cox laced a triple to score the go-ahead run and then made it 4-2 when he came home on a run-scoring groundout by Eisen.
Zack Tax and Max Lautmann held the Scarlet Knights scoreless until the seventh. It was Favaletta again who delivered for Rutgers, with a two-run single up the middle that tied the game at 4-4.
In the eighth, after Columbia left the go-ahead run at third base with two outs, Rutgers scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch that brought home the go-ahead run as the Scarlet Knights went ahead 5-4 without the benefit of a base hit in the inning against relievers Roger Aquino and Harrison Slutsky.
Rutgers reliever Rob Corsi walked pinch-hitter Nick Crucet with two outs in the ninth but was able to nail down the win on a strikeout to end the game.
Eisen and Pizzano each had two base hits for the Lions. Favaletta was the only Rutgers batter with two hits as he drove in four runs for the Scarlet Knights.
Columbia is back in action on Saturday, April 9 at Brown in Providence, R.I. for an Ivy League doubleheader beginning at noon.
