Box Score


NEWARK, NJ—Visiting Saint Peter's snapped a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the sixth inning and then pulled away an inning later, adding three more tallies en route to a 6-3 baseball win over NJIT Tuesday afternoon at frigid Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
 
The Peacocks (5-15) trailed after four innings, 1-0, but jumped ahead in the top of the fifth inning with two runs. NJIT (6-8) got a run in the bottom of the frame to tie the score at 2-2.
 
But Saint Peter's LF Rob Moore hit an impressive two-out solo home run into the wind over the right field fence in the top of the sixth inning to reclaim the lead, 3-2, and put his team ahead to stay.
 
The top of the seventh inning was crucial, as the Peacock scored three times, doubling their score and extending their advantage to 6-2. The Highlanders got one run back in the bottom of the frame, but could not do more the rest of the way.
 
The pitchers of record on both sides were relievers, as Saint Peter's used three pitchers in the win and the Highlanders used four in defeat.
 
The winning pitcher for the Peacocks was freshman RHP Paul Schifilliti (2-0), who pitched 2.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit, with three walks and two strikeouts. Sophomore RHP Nathaniel Leon picked up his first save of the season with two innings of scoreless, hitless pitching that included one strikeout. The SPU starter, redshirt senior LHP Adam Purcilly, went the first 4.1 innings, yielding five hits and two runs, while striking out one and walking one.
 
The loss went to NJIT's second pitcher, freshman RHP Pat Geraghty (0-1), who was tagged with three runs on two hits in 1.1 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
 
NJIT's freshman left-hander Jake Yanez made hit his first college start and pitched 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and six walks, with four strikeouts.
 
After Geraghty, sophomore lefty Ian Bentley pitched two innings and allowed a run on three hits, with three strikeouts. Bentley was the only NJIT pitcher to avoid a walk, as the staff combined to issue 10 free passes. Tyler Kapp, coming off a strong two-inning spot in earning a relief win a Rider on Sunday, pitched another scoreless frame on Tuesday, walking two and striking out two in the ninth against Saint Peter's.
 
Saint Peter's, with the 10 bases-on-balls, also got 10 hits—the Moore home run and nine singles. 1B Nick Henriquez, DH Jim Smith, a C Michael Wulff all got two hits each for the Peacocks. Wulff and 2B Sean Henry (1-for-5) each drove in a pair of runs, while Henriquez scored twice.
 
NJIT managed six hits, all from different players. 2B Mike Rampone (1-for-3, 2 walks) and DH Stephan Halibej (1-for-3, 2 RBI) doubled for the Highlanders and RF Matt Weckerle (1-for-3) belted an RBI triple.
 
Game-time temperature on Tuesday was in the 30s, with overcast skies and a gusting wind blowing in and not much happened through the first three scoreless innings, although Saint Peter's left two men on base in the second inning and three more in the third.
 
NJIT scored first, when Rampone and Halibej opened the bottom of the fourth inning with back-to-back doubles. Rampone's two-bagger was his team-leading eighth in 14 games.
 
Saint Peter's answered with a pair of runs in the next half-inning. Yanez retired the first two Peacocks, but RF Chris Hugg (1-for-5) triggered a rally with a single, moved up on a passed ball and scored on a single by the junior first baseman Henriquez. Smith then singled and another passed ball put the two runners in scoring position. 3B Vinny Maietta walked to load the bases, chasing Yanez from the game.
 
Geraghty came in and was greeted with an infield single to shortstop by Wulff driving in the go-ahead run, 2-1. Geraghty then notched the final out, stranding three SPU runners on base.
 
With NJIT down a run, SS Bryan Haberstroh (0-for-1, 2 walks, 2 runs) drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth inning. LF Teddy Bickert (1-for-5) followed with a single and Weckerle moved the runners ahead on a sacrifice bunt. That brought on Schifilliti to pitch for the Peacocks and he walked Rampone to load the bases. Halibej, the next batter, tied the score on a sacrifice fly to right field before a bouncer to third base turned into the third out, leaving two more on base for NJIT.
 
The four runners stranded in the previous two innings came back to haunt the Highlanders when SPU's Moore hit his third home run of the season high over the high right field wall with two outs and no one on base in the top of the sixth for a 3-2 lead.
 
After NJIT went down in order in the sixth, Saint Peter's added three more runs to its lead in the seventh inning. Geraghty walked the first two Peacocks, bringing in Bentley, who fanned his first batter. The next Peacock up, Wulff, singled to drive in a run and Henry followed with a two-run single before Bentley retired the next two batters, leaving the score at 6-2.
 
The Highlanders scored a run and threatened more, but could not get another clutch hit. Haberstroh walked leading off and, after an out, Weckerle tripled into the right field corner, trimming the deficit to 6-3. Rampone walked and eventually stole second base, putting two more in scoring position with one out, but Schifilliti left the NJIT runners where they were.
 
Having played its last four games against teams from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, NJIT will move to face a Northeast Conference opponent next. The Highlanders will visit LIU Brooklyn for a weekend series, beginning with a single contest slated for 3 pm on Friday.