Rutgers baseball (24-16, 7-5) swept the Northwestern Wildcats (6-28, 3-9) over the weekend, outscoring the Wildcats 23 to 9 in the series. On Friday, the Scarlet Knights kicked off their three-game series at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Illinois, defeating the Wildcats 7-1 in game one. On Saturday, Rutgers clinched their series win, defeating Northwestern 11-7 in game two. The Scarlet Knights completed the sweep on Sunday, defeating the Wildcats 5-1 in the series finale.
Game 1
On Friday, Rutgers right-handed pitcher Christian Coppola (3-3) picked up his third win. Coppola pitched six innings, letting up one earned run, five hits, and two walks. He struck out six Wildcats in his six innings of work. Rutgers redshirt sophomore Sam Portnoy relieved Coppola, pitching three scoreless innings.
The Scarlet Knights had 12 hits in game one, with third baseman Chris Brito leading the way. Brito had five at-bats, producing four hits and four RBIs. He had two home runs (Top 5th & Top 8th) and one double (Top 1st), sealing the victory for the Scarlet Knights.
Game 2
Rutgers continue their hot streak at the plate, producing 11 runs in game two. Brito picked up where he left off in game one, recording three hits, two RBIs, and three runs. Brito had three doubles and one walk, leaving one base runner on base in five at-bats.
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Along with Brito, left-fielder Evan Sleight had an excellent day at the plate, producing three RBIs. Sleight had one double (1 RBI) and one homerun (2 RBIs) in Saturday’s victory.
The Scarlet Knights’ right-handed pitcher Grant Besser (2-3) picked up his second win of the season. Besser pitched five innings, letting up one earned run, three hits, and two walks. Also, Besser struck out three Wildcats, locking down the victory for Rutgers.
BREAK OUT THE BROOMS! 🧹🧹🧹
Another wire-to-wire victory to finish off the clean sweep at Northwestern!!#TCD pic.twitter.com/BTVVVeCODS
— Rutgers Baseball (@RutgersBaseball) April 23, 2023
Game 3
On Sunday, Rutgers completed their series finale against the Wildcats with a 5-1 victory. Rutgers right-handed pitcher Drew Conover had a dominant performance, pitching seven strong innings. Conover let up four hits, one earned run, and three walks, striking out nine batters through seven innings.
Outfielder Ryan Lasko provided a triple in the first inning, leading to the Scarlet Knights’ early lead. Lasko also contributed to Rutgers’ victory with a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Josh Kuroda-Grauer recorded two RBIs on a single in the top of the fourth inning.
The Scarlet Knights are now sixth in the Big Ten Conference standings after the three victories over the Wildcats.
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