May 6, 2006

Box Score Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - New Jersey Institute of Technology got two complete-game victories from senior starting pitchers Chris Legiadre and Rob Forbes, sweeping Saturday afternoon's Central Atlantic College Conference baseball doubleheader from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 4-3 and 5-2, at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

Legiadre (6-3) got off to a rocky start opening the first game, but he corrected himself in the first inning and was brilliant the rest of the way en route to his 27th career victory--two shy of the all-time NJIT record.

Forbes (3-5) scattered seven hits and survived his biggest challenge in the seventh inning, when USP scored a run and left the bases loaded to end the second game.

Legiadre, who likely has one regular season start remaining, got in trouble early, surrendering a home run by USP's Chris Pino on the third pitch of the game. He hit the next batter and then USP got two hits, including a two-run single by Michael DeVincenzo.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Legiadre struck out the next three batters to end the threat. Legiadre was dominant the rest of the way, allowing one hit and no runs over the last six innings. He finished with nine strikeouts and a walk.

Meanwhile, the NJIT hitters answered USP's three-run first inning with two runs of their own, as Derrick McCain and Mike Turner each drove in a run. The first run was scored by Justin Racz--his school-record 39th of the season, breaking Chris Schwartz' old mark of 38, set in 2002.

The Highlanders tied the game in the second, thanks to a leadoff double by Jeff Potter and an RBI single by Rob Pietrocola and they got what proved to be the game-winner in the third inning on Forbes' solo home run to right field. Forbes and Craig Binkiewicz each finished with two hits for NJIT.

NJIT jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, as Binkiewicz led off with an infield hit and came around on a double by Racz, who later went to third on a fly out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mike Turner.

USP picked up a run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Highlanders got it back in the fifth with a leadoff triple by Potter and a sacrifice fly by Pietrocola.

NJIT stretched its lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth, as Racz, who had doubled leading off, stole third and scored when the catcher's errant throw went down the left field line. After an out, Turner blasted a long home run--his team-leading seventh--over the left field fence.

The extra runs were helpful, as USP, which had four hits through the first six innings, got three hits to score a run and then loaded the bases on a two-out error--NJIT's only miscue of the day--before Forbes closed out the complete-game win by inducing a ground out.

The Highlanders' eight hits in the second game came from seven different men. Racz led the way with 2-for-3 and scored twice, raising his record season total to 41.

USP catcher Corey Hider was 3-for-3 and first baseman Brian Scott was 2-for-3.

NJIT's next scheduled home action is on Wednesday at 5 pm, when it hosts CACC rival Nyack in a doubleheader at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.