It may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Rutherford ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Paramus Spartans, sneaking past 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bulldogs have posted since April 10, 2024.
Chris Gioia made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two hits in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
Gioia wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Andrew Erickson, who went 1-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Rutherford is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Paramus, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-6.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Rutherford will face off against North Arlington at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. As for Paramus, they will square off against Ramapo at 4:15 p.m. on Monday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
