FLEMINGTON, N.J. (Mar. 25, 2016)- Junior Sal Smith (Toms River, N.J. / Toms River North) blasted a grand slam as the Centenary College baseball team recorded a 8-4 series opening victory over Rutgers-Newark. Freshman Ryan Jasiecki (Ledgewood, N.J. / Roxbury) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored for the Cyclones who improve to 8-6 overall. Brian Boulineau went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Scarlet Raiders who fall to 6-9 overall.

After Rutgers-Newark took an early 2-0 lead on back-to-back sacrifice flies, Centenary answered in the bottom half of the first inning with junior Nick Daniele (Colts Neck, N.J. / Red Bank Catholic) and freshman Casey Brown (Easton, Pa. / Easton Area) both recording a run batted in to even the game at 2-2.  

In the third, Brown and Jasiecki led off with back-to back hits before sophomore Michael Caprari (Candor, N.Y. / Owego Free Academy) walked to load the bases. After Rutgers made a pitching change, Smith hit a grand slam to left field giving Centenary a 6-2 advantage.

The Scarlet Raiders would cut their deficit to 6-4, before Daniele homered in the sixth and Jasiecki scored on a wild pitch after hitting a triple in the seventh.

Sophomore James Graziani (Martinsville, NJ / Bridgewater – Raritan) struck out four batters and improved to 2-2 overall, while junior Ryan St. John (Washingtonville, N.Y. / Burke Catholic) recorded his second save of the season. Brown, along with sophomores John Tierney (West Milford, N.J. / West Milford) and Kevin Sensale (Bartonsville, Pa. / Pocono Mountain East) all posted two hits apiece.

Head Coach Scott Kushner and the Cyclones will return to action tomorrow, Sat. Mar. 26, against the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark in a doubleheader beginning at 12:00 p.m.