After a series win against Quinnipiac over the weekend, Marist baseball began a nine-game road trip with a non-conference win over Rutgers on Tuesday. The win, which ended in a lopsided 10-3 score in favor of the Red Foxes, gave them their first win against Rutgers and sets them up for a three-game road series against Niagara.
The game featured numerous high-powered performances by Marist. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Chris Diaz had three hits and a walk to go along with two RBIs while senior infielder AJ Brotz had two hits and two RBIs. The team also got outstanding performances from their pitchers: junior left-hander Andrew Speranza and redshirt junior right-hander Bobby LeFevre. The pair both went 3.1 innings—Speranza allowed two runs and seven hits to get the win, and LeFevre followed by giving up only five hits and one run.
The Scarlet Knights got off to a fast start, scoring a run off a solo home run by sophomore outfielder Jack Sweeney. Both offenses slowed over the following four innings—Rutgers and Marist combined for seven hits and no runs in the span.
The score remained 1-0 heading into the sixth inning before the Red Fox offense found its groove. Marist scored quickly in the top of the inning by way of an RBI double by senior catcher/infielder Kyle Pollack. A couple of batters later, senior infielder Brady Steinert produced an RBI single before Diaz notched the first of his two RBIs on a single up the middle that scored Steinert. The Red Foxes capped off the inning with an RBI groundout by graduate student outfielder Luis Cedeno.
After another solo homer by Sweeney and an RBI single later in the seventh, the Scarlet Knights closed the gap to 4-3, but Marist responded once more. In the top of the eighth with more men on base, Marist smacked three more RBI singles from freshman outfielder TJ Baer, sophomore infielder Noel Rivera and senior infielder AJ Brotz to build a 10-3 lead. Neither team scored for the rest of the game as Marist locked down the victory.
The Red Foxes now have a couple days to rest before their next matchup, which is against fellow MAAC opponent Niagara. The game, which will be the start of a three-game series, is set for Friday at 3 p.m.
Edited by Max Rosen
Photo by Cassidy Connors
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