April 18, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - New Jersey Institute of Technology scored a crisp 6-3 baseball win over visiting Saint Joseph's (PA) Wednesday evening at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

The Highlanders, who never trailed, scored one run in each of the first three innings and later added a run in the fifth and two in the sixth, securing the victory with good pitching backed by solid defense and timely hitting.

NJIT starter LHP PJ Saporito (3-4) worked the first six innings, yielding six hits and three runs (two earned), with a walk and four strikeouts. Freshman RHP Spiro Molfetas earned his first college save with three scoreless, one-hit innings. He struck out one and walked one.

Jeff Williams (1-4), the first of four Saint Joe's pitchers, took the loss, going three innings and allowing three runs on five hits. He had been the winning pitcher a week ago, when the Hawks beat NJIT.

The Highlanders got 2-for-4 games at the plate from LF Derrick McCain, RF Kwesi Mitchell and 3B Mike Turner.

McCain, batting leadoff for the first time this season, drove in three runs. He tripled home a run with two down in the second inning and later drove in two on a bases-loaded single in the sixth inning.

Mitchell's 2-for-4 included his team-leading ninth home run of the year, a solo laser shot over the left field fence with one out in the fifth inning. He raised his season RBI total to 31 and he has hit safely in 23 of his 24 games this year.

Turner's two-out single in the first inning accounted for his RBI and opened the scoring for NJIT.

Saint Joseph's, which scored single runs in the second, fourth and sixth innings, was led at bat by 1B Kevin Walsh (2-for-3, two runs scored) and C Drew Smith (2-for-4 with an RBI), the fourth and fifth men in the Hawks' batting order.

NJIT led, 1-0, after the first inning, before Saint Joe's tied the score in the top of the second thanks to LF Matt Barnathan's leadoff double, setting up a ground out RBI for CF Tim Smith.

The Highlanders took the lead for good in the bottom of the frame, when McCain's two-out triple into the right field corner brought CF Craig Binkiewicz around from first base.

NJIT added a third run in the third, when Mitchell led off with a single, went to second on a ground out and scored on DH Andrew Small's base hit to right field.

Trailing, 3-1, after three innings, Saint Joe's twice pulled to within a run, but could not get closer the rest of the way against Saporito and Molfetas.

NJIT, which was rained out of a scheduled doubleheader on Sunday, the 15th, and again for a scheduled on Tuesday, the 17th, is not scheduled again until Tuesday, the 24th, when it is slated to visit Army in a 3:30 pm game in West Point, NY.