Box score (Game 1)
 
Box score (Game 2)
 
CHICAGO—Chicago State completed its four-game weekend Great West Conference baseball series against NJIT by taking down the visiting Highlanders in both ends of a Sunday doubleheader, 2-1 in the opening game and then 12-2 in the nightcap, which was shortened to seven innings by the 10-run conference mercy rule.
 
The Sunday sweep by the Cougars offset two wins by NJIT to open the series, 9-8 on Friday and 13-0 in another seven-inning run-rule game on Saturday night. NJIT is now 12-12 in the Great West and 21-24 overall. Chicago State is 8-16 in the conference and 10-35 overall. The Cougars, who lost their first eight conference games of the season, are 8-8 in the GWC since, including a 3-1 series win over NYIT and 2-2 splits with second-place Texas-Pan American and now, NJIT.
 
The Highlanders, who managed just eight runs total in dropping three-of-four last weekend against Texas-Pan American, had scored a combined 22 runs in winning the first two games at Chicago State. But NJIT's hitting woes returned in Sunday's doubleheader, as they managed just three runs in 14 innings of the two losses.
 
Freshman right-hander Bill VanMeerbeke took the brunt of the poor run support, dropping to 1-5 on the season despite tossing a complete-game six-hitter with two runs allowed in the opener. He struck out two and walked one in Sunday's 2-1 loss. He also lost a complete-game seven-inning 1-0 four-hitter last week vs. UTPA.
 
The winning pitcher in the opener was the second of three Chicago State pitchers, senior RHP Steven O'Hair (2-5), who pitched 3.1 innings and blanked NJIT on three hits and two walks, with two strikeouts. Senior right-hander Andrew Watson, the losing pitcher out of the bullpen in Friday's series opener, got the last two outs this time to secure his third save of the year. The starter, sophomore RHP Dylan Sterrett, pitched the first three innings and allowed the only Highlander run on three hits and two walks, with two strikeouts.
 
NJIT scored first, with a run in the top of the third inning, but the Cougars quickly tied the score in the bottom of the inning and then added what proved to be the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
Each team had six hits, with Albert Carpen's double in the middle of CSU's winning rally in the fifth, standing as the only extra-base hit for either side. The only player on either team with more than one hit was NJIT freshman CF Ed Charlton, who finished 2-for-4 and drove in his team's only run.
 
The Highlanders got their run when three straight batters reached base with one out in the third. Mike Rampone walked and Matt Weckerle singled, sending Rampone on to third base. Weckerle was out trying to steal, but Charlton delivered the run-scoring single to put NJIT on top, 1-0.
 
DH Shane McGaharan led off the CSU half of the inning with a single and moved up on a ground out. He later scored the tying run on a two-out single by freshman third baseman Mattingly Romanin.
 
The 1-1 tie continued into the bottom of the fifth inning, when 2B Johnny Cantu, the number nine hitter, singled with one out and Albert Carpen followed with a double. After an intentional walk to load the bases, Jonathan Carpen lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing home Cantu with what would be the winning run.
 
NJIT, which left runners on base in every inning but the second, got a one-out single from Rampone in the top of the seventh, but Watson came on to save the win with a fly out and strikeout.
 
The teams were engaged in another close contest in the nightcap, tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the fifth inning when the Cougars exploded for nine runs on eight hits to blow the game open against three NJIT pitchers, including the starter, RHP Matt Coughlin (3-3). Chicago State later triggered the 10-run conference run rule by scoring once in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 12-2 win.
 
Senior right-hander Gregory Day upped his season record to 2-4 for the Cougars with seven strong innings in Game Two, scattering eight hits and allowing two runs, while walking two and striking out two.
 
Coughlin, a sophomore, entered the game with a 2.40 earned run average, but Sunday's outing was the first rough appearance of the year for the pitcher who made his first nine appearances this year out of the bullpen. He won non-conference starts against Fairleigh Dickinson (April 24) and Wagner (May 1), before making his first conference start last week vs. UTPA and lost, 2-1, despite 7.1 solid innings. He is in the conference rotation for 2011 All-GWC Utility Player DJ Roche, who is out with an elbow injury.
 
Even with Sunday's 10 hits and eight runs (seven earned) in 4.2 innings, Coughlin's ERA is still a respectable 3.89. He had four walks and did not register a strikeout against CSU. He was relieved in the fifth inning by classmate Joe Fasano, Friday's winning pitcher out of the bullpen. Fasano did not get an out on Sunday and was charged with two hits and two runs. Freshman RHP Conor McGlynn finished up and worked two innings, allowing three hits, three walks and two runs, with one strikeout.
 
Chicago State pounded out 15 hits in the nightcap, as eight of the nine men in the batting order got at least one hit, paced by three knocks apiece from Albert Carpen, Jonathan Carpen, and Jeremy Rataczyk. Cantu also had a pair of hits.
 
Jonathan Carpen, who drove in a game-high four runs, hit a double, as did Eric O'Brien, William Hill, and Cantu. Rataczyk and McGaharan followed Jonathan Carpen in the RBI parade with two apiece.
 
NJIT, which had eight hits, including three doubles, was topped by Weckerle's 3-for-3, all singles. The doubles came from Rampone, Charlton and junior SS Jeff Peterson.
 
As it had in Sunday's first game, NJIT scored first in the nightcap on a run in the third inning when Weckerle singled with two outs and then scored on Charlton's double to left center. The double was Charlton's 13th, tying him with Bryan Bleakley for the team lead.
 
Chicago State answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. Cantu doubled with one out and eventually scored on an error and Jonathan Carpen drove in the second run with a bunt single.
 
The Highlanders pulled even, 2-2, when Peterson led off the top of the fourth with a double and scored on a two-out single for freshman RF Andrew Benjamin.
 
The Carpen brothers sparked CSU's big fifth inning by sandwiching singles around an out. Rataczyk then singled to drive in the first of the nine Cougar runs. O'Brien followed him with an RBI double and Hill walked before NJIT's Coughlin got the second out. It would be a long time before the Highlanders got off the field, however.
 
McGarahan singled to drive in two more runs, chasing Coughlin from the mound. Fasano came on and Cantu and Albert Carpen each greeted him with run-scoring singles. McGlynn, the third NJIT pitcher, walked his first batter to load the bases and Jonathan Carpen emptied them with a three-run double before McGlynn picked up the third out.
 
Chicago State closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh, as Romanin got a one-out walk, went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a balk. McGlynn struck out Jonathan Carpen, but Rataczyk singled to make it 12-2 and trigger the mercy rule.
 
NJIT's final non-conference game of the season, a late addition to the schedule, is slated for Monday at 6 pm, when the Highlanders are set to host Fairfield at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium. That game will pit NJIT head coach Mike Cole, who was is in the University of Vermont Hall of Fame as a player, against Bill Currier, who is in his first year as head coach at Fairfield, but coached Cole at Vermont. Coach Currier won 486 games at Vermont in 22 seasons as head coach of the Catamounts. Cole was also an assistant coach under Currier from 2002 to 2004 and again in 2009.