Rutgers salvaged the three game series against Purdue (21-22; 10-8) with a 9-5 win on Sunday following losing twice this past weekend. On Friday, RU lost 6-1 and followed with a 6-3 loss on Saturday. After winning nine of its last ten entering the series, the bats took awhile to get going before Steve Owens’ team exploded for six runs in the decisive seventh inning to beat the Boilermakers. The Scarlet Knights are now 26-18 overall and 8-7 in Big Ten play.
Purdue jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Sunday before Jordan Sweeney led the comeback. Nine unanswered runs followed. After singling in Hugh Pickney in the fifth inning to get Rutgers on the board, Sweeney hit a three-run homer in his next at-bat. The dinger sparked a seventh run rally that turned the game in favor of the Scarlet Knights. Maximus Martin followed Sweeney with a single and soon scored after leadoff man Josh Kuroda-Grauer delivered with a triple. Evan Sleight then singled him home to give Rutgers the 6-5 lead. After Purdue made a pitching change, Chris Brito knocked in Sleight with a double.
The Scarlet Knights added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning when Sleight and Brito each delivered their second RBIs of the game.
Jake Marshall earned the victory throwing four scoreless innings of relief. He improved to 4-1 on the season with an efficient outing of 41 pitches. He allowed just two hits, struck out four batters and walked one.
Rutgers finished its extended road trip with a 6-2 record. They sit alone in eighth place in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights return home to host Princeton on Wednesday, May 3 at 5 p.m. RU will then host Penn State (24-15; 6-8) for a three game series this coming weekend. Friday and Saturday’s games start at 6 p.m. with Sunday’s finale at noon. All three games will be streamed live on B1G+.
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