Championship Central
Box Score
Highlights
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Rutgers southpaw Howie Brey allowed just two hits in seven shutout innings and leftfielder Vinny Zarrillo went 4-for-4 with two RBIs as the Scarlet Knights took a 10-0 win against USF Wednesday in the final game of the first day of competition at the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship at Bright House Field.
Rutgers (30-23) won for the 11th time in 12 games and improved to 1-0 in the pool play round of the tournament. USF (26-30) fell for the seventh time in its last eight games after dropping its tournament opener. The eight qualifying teams are paired into four-team divisions. Each team plays the other three in its division, before the two division winners meet Sunday in the championship game.
Rutgers scored the only run it would need in the first inning before exploding for an eight-run third inning in which it sent 12 men to the plate. The Scarlet Knights gained a 10-run lead in the bottom of the fifth, and the game ended after Rutgers finished the seventh inning with the double-digit margin.
Zarrillo led a Scarlet Knight attack that rapped 15 hits against the Bulls, which proved to be plenty of support for Brey. The sophomore allowed just two singles and a walk and finished with four strikeouts in an 89-pitch performance. He retired 13 straight USF batters between the second and sixth innings.
In addition to Zarrillo’s four-hit day, four other Rutgers players had two hits. First-baseman Brian O’Grady was 2-for-4, registering both hits in the decisive third inning. He started the eight-run outburst inning with a solo home run to rightfield and followed later in the inning with an RBI double to right-center. Catcher R.J. Devish was 2-for-3 with two RBIs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup, rightfielder Tom Marcinczyk went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and centerfielder Mike Carter was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Seven of the nine starters in the Rutgers lineup had at least one RBI. Eight of the nine scored at least one run.
Brey improved to 6-3 with the win, while USF starter Casey Mulholland fell to 4-3. Shortstop Kyle Teaf and catcher Levi Borders were the only Bulls players to hit safely.
Rutgers and USF do not play on Thursday’s second day of competition at the tournament. The Scarlet Knights resume play Friday against No. 8-seeded Memphis at 11 a.m. ET. USF follows with a matchup against top-seeded Louisville at 3 p.m.
2014 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Bright House Field • Clearwater, fla.
Tournament
Pool A Record
No. 4 Rutgers 1-0
No. 1 Louisville 0-0
No. 8 Memphis 0-0
No. 5 USF 0-1
Tournament
Pool B Record
No. 2 UCF 1-0
No. 3 Houston 1-0
No. 6 Temple 0-1
No. 7 UConn 0-1
Wednesday, May 21 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
UCF 7, UConn 1
Houston 3, Temple 0
Rutgers 10, USF 0 (7 innings)
Thursday, May 22 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
No. 3 Houston (42-14) vs. No. 7 UConn (26-30) 11 a.m.
No. 8 Memphis (28-28) vs. No. 1 Louisville (43-13) 3 p.m.
No. 2 UCF (35-22) vs. No. 6 Temple (14-31) 7 p.m.
Friday, May 23 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
No. 4 Rutgers (30-23) vs. No. 8 Memphis 11 a.m.
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 5 USF (26-30) 3 p.m.
No. 3 Houston vs. No. 2 UCF 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 24 – Pool Play (American Digital Network)
No. 7 UConn vs. No. 6 Temple 11 a.m.
No. 4 Rutgers vs. No. 1 Louisville 3 p.m.
No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 5 USF 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 25 – Final (ESPNU)
Pool A winner vs. Pool B winner Noon
all times Eastern