Baseball: WVU Falls To Rutgers, 8-4
March 28, 2008 07:25 PM | General
March 28, 2008
BOX SCORE
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Freshman Jedd Gyroko fouled out to first base in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and the bases loaded to end West Virginia’s rally, as the Mountaineers fell to Rutgers, 8-4, today, in Piscataway, N.J.
Rutgers (7-13, 1-3 BIG EAST) collected eight runs on nine hits and committed one error, while the Mountaineers (19-5, 3-1 BIG EAST) finished with four runs on nine hits.
The Mountaineer offense was led by junior Justin Parks who finished with four hits and one run, while Joe Agreste hit his second home run of the season in the sixth inning. Freshman Tobias Streich recorded two hits and one run to aid the WVU offense.
Freshman Jaren Matthews led the Rutgers attack with one run on two hits and three RBIs. Teammate Luis Feliz finished with three hits and two RBIs.
Junior Josh Whitlock (5-1) dropped his first decision of the year, allowing seven runs on seven hits, walking five and striking out five in 6.1 innings of work. Rutgers’ Matt Patterson (2-0) earned his second win of the season in relief, allowing just four runs on four hits and two walks in 3.2 innings.
The Scarlet Knights got an early five-run lead, scoring one in the first inning and four in the second. Donny Callahan doubled, advanced on Dan Betteridge’s single and scored off of a wild pitch from Whitlock.
In the second inning, Victor Cegles scored on a bases loaded walk, before Jaren Matthews hit a three-RBI double to left field, plating Tom Edwards, Betteridge and Callahan, giving Rutgers a 5-0 lead.
The Mountaineers answered in the fourth inning, with two runs. Austin Markel walked, advanced to third on Streich’s double and scored on Agreste’s sacrifice fly to right field. Yost lined out to center field to plate Streich and closed the margin to 5-2.
Rutgers answered in the bottom of the inning, when Edwards hit an RBI double to plate Callahan, who walked and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Betteridge.
The scoring continued for WVU in the fifth inning when Parks singled to left field, advanced to second on Tyler Kuhn’s sacrifice bunt, and reached third on a wild pitch. Gyorko flew out to right field, plating Parks, cutting the Scarlet Knights’ lead by half, 6-3.
Rutgers added a run in the bottom of the inning, to increase its lead to 7-3, when Matthews doubled to center field and was brought home when Luis Feliz doubled to left field.
The Scarlet Knights scored in the seventh inning when Jarred Jimenez reached on an infield single to short, moved on Vinnie Sangemino walk, and scored off of Feliz’s RBI single to left field, his second of the game, pushing Rutgers lead to 8-4, the final margin.
Game two of the three-game series will be held tomorrow, Saturday, March 28, at Bainton Field. First pitch is at 1 p.m.
