NEW ORLEANS – The Butler baseball team took a tough 3-2 loss to Rutgers on Friday afternoon in the first game of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Baseball Classic. The Bulldogs held a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, but a two-RBI walk-off single to left field would lift the Scarlet Knights to victory 3-2.
 
Butler scored both of their runs in the top of the first inning. Zach Jarosz led-off the game with a single to center and he would come around to score off a Harrison Freed RBI single through the right side.
 
Butler's second run of the opening frame would come after some aggressive base running. Freed was tagged out at first base on the 2-4-3 putout, but Kyle Smith would score before the tag to put BU in front 2-0.
 
Ryan Pepiot would hold Rutgers in check during his second start of the season. The junior tossed 5.2 innings of work, striking out nine and walking five. He didn't allow a single run and limited the Scarlet Knights to just two hits.
 
Rutgers would eventually climb onto the scoreboard in the seventh on a wild pitch. Quentin Miller had entered the game for Pepiot and was charged with the earned run. Jack Myers would record two outs for Butler on Friday, but the loss would fall to Jack Pilcher who attempted to make a four-out save.
 
Pilcher gave up a single to start the bottom of the ninth and a few wild pitches would get runners into scoring position. Dezzi supplied Rutgers with the game-winner as his single to left scored both Welsh and Nyisztor.
 
Jarosz and Freed supplied Butler with four of their five hits in the contest. Jarosz led-off going 2-for-5 with a run scored. Freed went 2-for-4 with a RBI. The final hit belonged to Brody McGrath.
 
Butler will return to action tomorrow with a 5 PM game against Chicago State. The contest will be played at Maestri Field.