Rutgers Blasts Wagner in Home Opener 18-1

RUTGERS 18 - WAGNER 1

A monster afternoon for short stop Danny DiGeorgio paved the way for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in an impressive 18-1 victory over Wagner Tuesday afternoon in RU's home opener. The Scarlet Knights are 10-1 having extended their winning streak to seven games -- the longest such streak since 2014.

DiGeorgio led the way for a Rutgers team that pounded out six home runs in the contest, by blasting a pair of home runs of his own.  The grad student went 3-for-3 with four runs scored and five RBI to improve his season totals to a .405 batting average with three homers and 15 RBI.

In the bottom of the first inning, with a runner aboard, DiGeorgio got around on an off-speed pitch and lifted it over the left field wall for a two-run homer to give Rutgers a 2-0 lead.

The homer by DiGeorgio was only the beginning.

Evan Sleight (4-for-5, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI) and Tony Santa Maria (2-for-5, 2 runs scored, RBI) went back-to-back and belly-to-belly for a pair of homers in the second inning as Rutgers built a 4-1 lead.

Three batters later, DiGeorgio was at it again, this time with a three-run bomb to left that pushed the Rutgers lead out to 7-1. Nick Cimillo would also homer in the frame to cap off a six-run inning.

Jordan Sweeney would later cap off the Rutgers onslaught when he hit the club's sixth and final home run of the day on a three-run homer to left-center to give RU an 18-1 lead in the fifth inning.

On the mound, Wyatt Parliament got the victory, tossing three innings of one-run ball. He gave up only one hit, walked two and struck out two. Parliament (1-0), a freshman has a 1.17 ERA in three games this season.

The Scarlet Knights hit the road for Hawaii to face the Rainbow Warriors in a four-game weekend series that begins Friday night at 11:35 p.m. ET.