Box Score
BRONX, NY—NJIT sophomore LHP Tripp Davis tossed a complete-game, nine-inning shutout and his teammates scored three runs in the fourth inning, giving the Highlanders their first baseball win of 2011, 3-0, over Fairleigh Dickinson Friday afternoon at Jack Coffey Field on the campus of Fordham University.
Davis (1-1) scattered six hits and did not walk a batter, striking out seven in his 81-pitch route-going effort against FDU, which had scored 22 runs in its previous game.
Friday's result also marked the first head coaching victory for NJIT's Mike Cole, who is 1-3 in his inaugural season with the Highlanders. FDU is 2-2.
It was the first career shutout and the first career nine-inning performance for Davis, who won three games as a freshman, pitching into the eighth inning twice. He had two games last year in which he allowed one run in seven innings, winning one and losing one.
All the scoring on Friday came in the bottom of the fourth inning with two out. Bryan Bleakley got things started with the first hit of the day for the Highlanders, a single. Teddy Bickert followed with a double into the left field gap, bringing Bleakley all the way around from first base with the only run Davis would need.
Freshman Tyler Kapp hit another double to left field, scoring Bickert, and Kapp scored himself on a single by John Bouck.
NJIT loaded the bases in the fifth inning on a single and two walks, but was unable to extend its lead. The Highlanders continued to get men on base, but they stranded a runner in each remaining half-inning.
FDU left two men on base in both the first inning and the seventh inning. Both times, Davis retired the first two batters, allowed the next two batters to reach base, but escaped with the third out, a called strikeout in the first and a fly out in the seventh.
Davis had a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out the last two batters to lock up the complete-game win.
Senior RHP Chris Theordor (0-1) started and took the loss for the Knights. His line was: 4.2 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Relievers Eric Anderson and Zach Kisling combined to blank NJIT the last 3.1 innings.
Six Highlanders produced hits on Friday, led by Bickert and Kapp, with two apiece. Each had a double and a single. DJ Robinson had a pair of hits for FDU. He, too, had a single and a double.
NJIT, FDU, and Saint Peter's will complete the two-day round-robin series on Saturday. FDU will face Saint Peter's at 10:30 am and the host Highlanders will take on Saint Peter's in a game scheduled for 1:30 pm.
All of the games will be played on Fordham's Jack Coffey Field.
