April 19, 2008

Game One Game Two

NEWARK, NJ - Three strong pitching efforts translated into a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon and evening at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, as NJIT won the opener, 8-0, behind the two-hit pitching of Bobby Wyrwa and then visiting Hartford claimed the nightcap, 4-2, in a well-pitched game for both sides.

Wyrwa, a sophomore left-handed pitcher, delivered one of the strongest pitching performances in NJIT's Division I era, which began in 2007. Mostly a reliever as a freshman, Wyrwa picked up his first career win in his eighth start of 2008 on Saturday against the visiting Hawks.

He allowed just two hits and retired 14 of the last 16 batters he faced in the seven-inning gem. One of the two batters to get on base in Wyrwa's dominant finish reached on a two-out error. The sophomore finished with five strikeouts and five walks in the two-hitter.

His complete game was the first of the season for NJIT, which got four complete games in 2007 in its first season of Division I competition. The only complete-game shutout of 2007 was a nine-inning five-hitter by PJ Saporito against New York Institute of Technology on May 4 and Rob Pietrocola had a nine-inning three-hitter in a 3-1 win at Binghamton last May 13.

In Saturday's nightcap, Hartford prevailed, 4-2, behind a complete-game four-hitter by sophomore RHP Chris Greiner, who struck 10 and walked five for his fifth win of the season.

NJIT sophomore RHP Spiro Molfetas made his first start of the season and pitched well, allowing four runs on five hits in 4.2 innings. Junior LHP Matt Melody backed him up with 2.1 innings of scoreless one-hit relief..

NJIT had nine hits in the first game Saturday, but five of them were for extra bases, as sophomore SS Miguel Lugo and freshman C Matt Tomczyk each homered, while RF Dom Hayes, LF Rob Pietrocola and 3B Rich Nazario all doubled.

Lugo, the leadoff batter for the Highlanders, finished the first game 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and a stolen base and Pietrocola was 2-for-2.

CF Ben Sobocinski and 2B Simon Kudernatsch each singled to account for the two Hartford hits against Wyrwa, who was in command all game.

Junior RHP Weston Szymanski, the first of three Hartford pitchers was tagged with the loss after yielding eight hits and six runs (five earned) in 2.1 innings.

NJIT got two runs in the first inning thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles from Hayes and Pietrocola and the Highlanders added three more in the second on Lugo's one-out three-run home run to left field.

2B Dan Morogiello drove home Pietrocola with NJIT's sixth run on a third-inning single and Tomczyk wrapped up the scoring with his first college home run, a two-run shot in the fifth inning.

Hartford's hits came from Sobocinski leading off the game and from Kudernatsch in the third inning.

The Hawks, who got six hits against Molfetas and Melody in the second game, were paced by Sobicinski, playing shortstop, and 3B Bill Perry, with two hits apiece. DH Matt Walker got one hit, but it was a two-run homer in the top of the first inning.

NJIT's four hits came from four different men. Three were singles. Freshman C Matt Tomczyk hit a triple for the Highlanders with one out in the fourth inning, but he was stranded when Greiner struck out the next two batters.

The Hawks opened game two with a two-run first inning on the strength of Walker's two-run shot. But NJIT, taking advantage of a wild spell by Greiner, knotted the score with two runs in the bottom of the second thanks to a pair of bases-loaded walks.

The score remained at 2-2 until the top of the fifth inning, when Hartford got two runs aided by a safe call at first base that drew an argument from the NJIT players at the scene he play and from coach Brian Callahan with two outs and a runner on first.

Sobocinski bounced the ball toward the second base hole, where 1B PJ Saporito ranged to his right to make the play and flip the ball to Molfetas, who had run over to cover first base. However, Sobocinski was ruled safe and the inning continued.

2B Simon Kudernatsch walked on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, setting up Perry's two-run, two-out single to left field that broke the 2-2 tie.

NJIT, which left the bases loaded in its two-run second inning, got at least one man on in each of the remaining innings, but could not push across another run.

NJIT and Hartford will complete the weekend series with a single game on Sunday at 2 pm in Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.