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OREM, UT—NJIT's Mark Leiter, Jr. allowed only one run in eight-plus innings in Tuesday's Great West Conference Tournament opening baseball game, but on this day, it was one run too many, as the Highlanders managed just two hits and failed to score in a 1-0 loss to North Dakota.
 
Leiter, who was on the winning side of a 1-0 game last Thursday, when he shut out NYIT on one hit, blanked sixth-seeded North Dakota for six innings in the first game of the 2012 Great West Conference Tournament. But the Fighting Sioux (18-35) plated a run in the top of the seventh inning and that was enough for ND to win.
 
The winning pitcher for North Dakota was freshman right-hander Andrew Thome (5-5) who now has won all four of his decisions since he was the losing pitcher against the Highlanders in Newark on April 20.
 
In the regular season loss to NJIT, Thome pitched a complete game, but was on the wrong side of a 5-2 score when the Highlanders broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the eighth inning. In the second meeting Tuesday at the GWC Tournament, the 6-foot-4 rookie was nearly untouchable, allowing just two singles and striking out nine Highlanders without a walk.
 
The two NJIT hits came from each of the Bouck brothers. DH John Bouck led off the third inning with a single and got as far as third base with two outs in the inning, but was left there when Thome got the third out. First baseman Tom Bouck doubled to right field with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning, but he, too, was stranded.
 
Leiter (5-7) was not quite as dominant for the Highlanders on Tuesday as he had been in his one-hit shutout last week. But he was still strong, allowing only four hits in the opening six innings and the biggest North Dakota threat in that span came when 3B Kyle Bolander led off the fifth inning with a double. However, Leiter retired the next three batters to snuff out that threat.
 
The game turned in the top of the seventh, when 1B Jeff Campbell, North Dakota's 2012 first-team all-GWC utility honoree, led off with a double to left field. A ground out moved Campbell up to third base and NJIT coach Mike Cole elected to intentionally walk Bolander, who had doubled his last time up.
 
The next batter, freshman RF Sam Alt, singled to center field, driving in what would be the game's only run. A later walk loaded the bases with two out, but Leiter left them full when he got CF Riley Beck to pop out foul.
 
Leiter pitched a scoreless eighth inning and the Highlanders threatened to tie the score in the bottom half, when James D'Aloia, playing through a severe left shoulder injury, led off and reached second base on an error by Thome. Andrew Benjamin's sacrifice bunt pushed D'Aloia to third base with one out, but the Highlanders could not get him home in two tries, as Thome ended the frame with a strikeout and a ground out.
 
Bolander (2-for-3) led off the ninth inning with a single, bringing in NJIT's top reliever, junior Austin McAuliffe, from the bullpen and the left-hander struck out the first two batters he faced and then picked off Bolander for the third out.
 
McAuliffe now has eight straight scoreless appearances out of the pen and has allowed one run in his last 12 games, all in relief, lowering his season ERA to 2.25 in the process.
 
Clinging to the 1-0 lead, Thome polished off his gem by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning.
 
Two North Dakota players accounted for two hits apiece among the seven Fighting Sioux hits. In addition to Bolander's 2-for-3, leadoff man and second baseman Kris Kwak was 2-for-4.
 
Tuesday's loss drops #3 NJIT into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination tournament. The Highlanders will take on #7 Chicago State, which lost its opening round game to #2 Texas-Pan American, 10-4. The NJIT-Chicago State game is Wednesday at 9 am (Mountain; 11 am Eastern).
 
During the regular season, the Highlanders split their four-game set at Chicago State, winning the first two games and then losing the next two.