May 22, 2006

Box Score Box Score Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Host New Jersey Institute of Technology is the leader after the first round of play in the 2006 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II Baseball Championship tournament played Sunday at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

The second-seeded Highlanders, 26-17 after the opening round action, began the tournament with an 18-4 seven-inning win over number three Felician. NJIT won its second game, defeating number one Molloy, 14-4, in the third of the day's three first round games.

In between, Molloy scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning to nip Felician, 10-9, eliminating the Falcons from the double elimination tournament. With its win and loss on Sunday, Molloy is 27-24. Felician ends the 2006 season with a 29-27 record after Sunday's two losses.

NJIT and Molloy are scheduled to continue play in the championship round on Monday at 1 pm at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium. Monday's action was pushed back an hour due to Sunday night's late finish around 11:15 pm.

If the Highlanders win on Monday, they will clinch the ECAC championship. If Molloy wins, it will force a deciding game vs. NJIT, to be played immediately after Monday's first game.

In Sunday's opener, the lead seesawed until the Highlanders, who would score at least two runs in all six of their at-bats, took control with a five-run third inning.

Felician scored a run in the top of the first, before NJIT answered with two in the bottom of the frame. Felician scored twice in the top of the second, but NJIT got them both back in the bottom of the second. The Falcons pulled even at 4-4, with a run in the top of the third, but the Highlanders broke through in the five-run third and then they pulled away for the 18-4 win in a game shortened to seven innings by the 10-run rule.

NJIT pounded out 14 hits, including four home runs and two doubles. Austin DeRogatis hit two homers for the Highlanders, finishing the game 2-for-4, with 4 runs and 5 RBI. Rob Forbes (2-for-5) and Mike Turner (1-for-3, 3 RBI) also homered for NJIT. Frank Quintana hit a solo shot for Felician.

Senior Chris Legiadre (8-3) finished with a complete-game win for NJIT, allowing 5 hits and 4 runs (2 earned), with 6 strikeouts and awalk. The win was the 29th of Legiadre's career, tying him with Dan MacDonald (1981-84) and George Olson (1974-77) for the top spot on the Highlanders' all-time wins list.

In Game Two, Molloy eliminated Felician in a hard-fought contest that saw each team score five runs and send 10 men to the plate in the first inning. Molloy added three runs in the third inning and a run in the fifth, but Felician fought back and tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run by Kenny Vanderhee. It was Vanderhee's second home run of the game, as he also had a triple, going 3-for-4, with 3 runs and 4 RBI.

Molloy got what proved to be the winning run in the top of the ninth on a leadoff walk, an error, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by Drew Adler that scored Patrick Miles.

Catcher Frank DiFranco was the top hitter in the game for Molloy, finishing 3-for-3, with two runs batted in.

Molloy's second pitcher, Steven Stewart (3-5) got the win, working 3 innings and allowing one run. Brent Savin pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his fourth save of the year.

BJ Senna, the third of four Felician pitchers, took the loss, despite not allowing a hit or an earned run in working the eighth inning, plus the leadoff batter in the ninth.

NJIT continued its strong hitting day in Game 3, scoring three times in the first inning and building a 6-0 lead through the first five innings.

However, Highlander starting pitcher Rob Forbes, who completed six innings and faced three batters in the seventh, got tired and Molloy got a run back in the sixth and three in the seventh against Forbes and reliever Cory Kuzmik, closing to within two runs, 6-4, after seven innings.

NJIT scored five runs in a two-out eighth inning rally and added three more in the top of the ninth to pull away for the 14-4 win.

Forbes, who was credited with six innings pitched, raised his season record to 4-5, while Kuzmik's line was 3 innings, 2 hits and no runs. Forbes and Kuzmik combined for 10 strikeouts. Molloy starter Michael Vecchione, the first of three pitchers, took the loss, falling to 4-3.

Three Highlanders--Derrick McCain, Mike Turner and Austin DeRogatis--got three hits apiece. Turner (3-for-6) got 5 RBI. DeRogatis drove in two runs, as did Forbes, who was 2-for-5.

Molloy had three hitters with two hits apiece--Drew Adler, Patrick Walsh and Thomas Reo. Four different men had an RBI apiece for the Lions.