Box Score Game One

Box Score Game Two


NEWARK, NJ—NJIT took both ends of a hard-fought Great West Conference baseball doubleheader by identical 6-5 scores in games that saw the Highlanders break 5-5 ties to win both contests Saturday at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
 
The Highlanders (3-3 Great West; 11-18 overall) scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Saturday's opener that had been scheduled for seven innings. Under Great West Conference rules, if the scheduled seven-inning game goes to nine innings, the second game, normally nine innings, becomes a seven-inning game. NJIT scored the winning run in the nightcap in the bottom of the fifth inning. The two defeats drop the visiting Bears to 1-5 in the Great West and 3-26 overall.
 
Game 1
NJIT overcame a four-run top of the first inning by NYIT to eventually take the opener, 6-5. The Bears, who had four runs on four hits in the opening frame, scored one run (in the top of the sixth) over the remaining eight innings. The Highlanders, who answered with three runs in the bottom of the opening inning, tied the score with a run in the fourth and then, after falling behind 5-4, forced extra innings with a run in the seventh and won on a one-out sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The decisions for each team went to relievers, with NJIT freshman LHP Ian Bentley (3-1) getting the win after a scoreless one-hit ninth inning. The loss went to NYIT senior right-hander Steve Cotov (1-2), who began the eighth inning and finished, allowing a hit and one hit batter before surrendering the winning run on the sac fly in the bottom of the ninth inning.
 
Both starters went deep into the game, but did not figure in the decision. For the Highlanders Mark Leiter, Jr. pitched eight full innings plus one batter in the ninth, allowing 11 hits and five runs, while striking out nine, walking three and hitting two batters. NYIT's James Bulva logged seven innings, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned), with seven strikeouts, five walks and a hit batter.
 
Five different men got two hits for the Bears, who totaled 12 in the game. 1B Michael Fermin (2-for-4) drove in two runs and hit a triple. CF Robert Loftus, LF Joe Daru (4-for-8 in the two games), and 2B Ali Rodriguez (4-for-7 in the doubleheader) all went 2-for-4, each with a double, and SS Joshua Canabal (4-for-8 in the doubleheader) was 2-for-4 on a pair of singles.
 
NJIT's 3B Mike Rampone was 3-for4 and freshman DH Stephan Halibej was 2-for-3 with four RBI--three on his first college home run in the opening frame and a fourth on the game-winning sacrifice fly.
 
NYIT got going quickly with a four-spot on four hits in the top of the first. Loftus and Daru opened with back-to-back doubles, with Daru's two-bagger scoring Loftus. Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and RF Dan Lackner singled to load the bases. After an out, DH Alex Angus reached safely on an error, with another run crossing the plate, and the next batter, Fermin, singled to bring home two more runs.
 
The Highlanders got three runs back with one swing of the bat in the bottom half of the first when Halibej lined a shot over the left field fence with two men on base and no outs.
 
NJIT had what looked like a great scoring chance with bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the third inning, but Canabal, the Bears shortstop, made a terrific reaction stab of Jeff Peterson's hard smash up the middle and turned it into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
 
In the next inning, however, the Highlanders took advantage of an NYIT miscue to tie the game. With two outs, C Zack Renna walked and moved to second base on a passed ball before scoring an unearned run on an RBI single by RF Andrew Benjamin.
 
After Leiter put up four straight scoreless innings, Fermin led off the sixth inning for NYIT with his first triple of the year on a drive over the center fielder's head. After a hit by pitch, 3B Joseph LaCugna hit a slicing fly ball into the right field corner, where Benjamin made a nice running catch for the out, but Fermin was able to jog home with the go-ahead run, giving LaCugna a sacrifice fly.
 
In the top of the seventh, Leiter dodged the proverbial bullet in part because one of the base umpires couldn't. After a walk to open the inning, Rodriguez doubled, putting runners on second and third with no one out. Leiter retired the next two batters, but Angus drilled a hard grounder toward the middle that appeared ticketed for the outfield, but struck the umpire, creating a dead ball single to load the bases. The next batter, Fermin, hit a grounder to the first base-second base hole, where Peterson made a nice play and fed the hustling Leiter, who nipped Fermin at the bag to end the inning.
 
The break paid dividends in the bottom of the seventh, as Rampone led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on Halibej's sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout, Peterson hit a slow chopper to third base that went for a single as Rampone crossed the plate with the tying run.
 
The Bears remained off the scoreboard in dramatic fashion in the top of the eighth, too. With two out, Loftus walked and then took off ahead of contact on a hit that Daru drove hard to left center field. Aiming to score all the way, Loftus was out at the plate on a text book relay--center fielder Nick Rabasco to shortstop Nick Swim to catcher Zack Renna, who put the tag on a sliding Loftus.
 
NJIT won the game, which had been scheduled for seven innings, in the bottom of the ninth inning. Rabasco, leading off, was hit by a pitch and he stole second base before moving to third on a sac bunt by Rampone. The next batter, Halibej, drove a well-struck fly to center field for a game-winning sacrifice fly, as the fleet-footed Rabasco scored easily.
 
Game 2
NJIT senior LHP Tripp Davis (1-5), who has five starts where he went at the least six innings and allowed two or fewer earned runs without getting a victory, finally broke into the win column on an effort that was more about guile and toughness on a day where he allowed 10 hits and five runs in seven innings. However, he also struck out 13 in a seven-inning complete-game effort, tying his career high, first set with 13 Ks against Utah Valley on April 10, 2011.
 
The loss went to the NYIT starter, freshman RHP JP Lipovac (0-3), who pitched five innings, allowing nine hits and six runs (four earned), with three strikeouts, a walk and a costly wild pitch. Right-handed grad student Luke Mirabella retired NJIT 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth.
 
NYIT had three men with two hits apiece in the nightcap, as Rodriguez and Canabal were 2-for-3 and Daru was 2-for-4. DH Nick Dellasperanza (1-for-3), who came in with two hits on the season, drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double in the second inning. NJIT got a 2-for-3 from Halibej, who was 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, a sacrifice fly and five RBI in the two games, and 2-for-4, with three RBI from 1B Tom Bouck.
 
In this one, the Highlanders grabbed a quick lead with three runs in the opening inning, but the Bears quickly took the lead with four runs on five hits in the next half-inning. NYIT stretched its advantage to 5-3 with a run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Highlanders tied the score with two runs of their own in the bottom half. An inning later, NJIT scored what proved to be the winning run on a bases-loaded wild pitch by Lipovac.
 
NJIT scored three times in the opening inning, as Rabasco led off with a single and then the Highlanders hit three straight doubles. Rampone doubled to left center scoring Rabasco all the way from first base. Halibej drove the ball to center field for another RBI double and Bouck followed Halibej with another run-scoring double to left center.
 
The visitors came right back in the top of the second, pushing ahead with four runs on five hits and three of the runs scored before NJIT's Davis could record an out. Fermin, 3B Bryan VanVranken, and Canabal all singled to load the bases for DH Nick Dellasperanza, who blasted a three-run double off the center field wall. After two outs, Daru singled to bring in Dellasperanza with the go-ahead tally.
 
The Bears added another run in the top of the fourth inning on a two-out single to right center field by Rodriguez, driving in Loftus, who had hit a one-out double.
 
NJIT tied the score at 5-5 with two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Bouck drove both runs home on a two-out line single to right field with the bases loaded.
 
NJIT loaded the bases again with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Highlanders plated what proved to be the winning run on a wild pitch that allowed LF Teddy Bickert to score from third base with Rabasco batting.
 
The series will shift to Long Island, where the teams will play two nine-inning games on Sunday, starting at 11:30 am. With the field on NYIT's campus under construction, the doubleheader will be hosted by the Bears at Dowling College in Oakdale, NY.