Box Score 1 | Box Score 2


NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY—Niagara completed a four-game weekend sweep of visiting NJIT, taking the Highlanders twice on Sunday, 5-4 in 10 innings and 7-2, as both baseball teams completed their 2014 schedules on Niagara's Bobo Field.
 
Niagara, which did not qualify for the upcoming Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, ends its season at 20-31 overall and NJIT finishes 20-25.
 
The Highlanders, who entered the series having won a season-best four in a row, could have finished over .500 with three wins at Niagara. But it was not to be. as NJIT lost the opener, 3-1, followed by two extra-inning losses and then the 7-2 defeat in the season finale. Still, the Highlanders reached the 20-win mark for the fourth straight season, which constitutes half their eight seasons of Division I competition.
 
After going nine innings to settle what was a scheduled seven-inning game in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader, NJIT and Niagara went even longer in Sunday's opener, with the Purple Eagles prevailing in the bottom of the 10th inning, 4-3, in another contest that had been scheduled for seven.
 
Niagara forced extra innings with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning and then won on an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
 
In the process, the NJIT starting pitcher, sophomore left-hander Ian Bentley, was denied a seventh victory, which would have been a Division I-era record for the Highlanders. Instead, he got a no-decision, despite a strong nine-inning effort, with seven hits, three runs, two walks, and five strikeouts.
 
He finishes 6-3 after pitching at least seven innings in each of his last seven starts. Sunday's nine-inning effort was the longest outing of his two-year college career. Bentley's 3.24 earned run average topped the NJIT starting pitchers and was second only to Tyler Kapp, who pitched to a 2.67 ERA in 18 relief appearances.
 
The loss went to freshman left-hander Brian Sondergard (0-1), who was credited with two-thirds of an inning and charged with two hits and the unearned run.
 
The winner for Niagara was senior reliever Geoff Soja (6-4), who also got the win in Saturday's extra-inning game when he came out of the pen to retire all 13 Highlanders he faced. Soja was not as effective Sunday, actually allowing two runs in his first inning on the mound, as NJIT surged ahead, 3-2, in the top of the seventh inning. But his teammates bailed him out and he blanked the Highlanders for three more innings, claiming the win when NU scored the game-winner. Soja went four innings, allowing three hits and two runs without a walk or a strikeout.
 
In the second game, NJIT scored twice in the top of the first inning, but was shut out after that. The Purple Eagles got one run in the first inning and seized control with four runs in bottom of the second before tacking on single scores in the third and sixth innings.
 
Niagara sophomore RHP Ben Zaccagnino (1-2) started and got the win after pitching six innings and allowing seven hits and two runs, while walking four and striking out one. Three different relievers got one out apiece in the top of the seventh inning.
 
NJIT freshman right-hander Alex Daniele (4-4) started and took the loss, lasting two innings and allowing six runs (five earned), with seven hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Freshman Jake Yanez worked a scoreless inning of relief, as did senior Austin McAuliffe in his final college game. Another departing Highlander, Frank Shivers allowed one run in two innings to close out his college career.
 
Game One recap
With nine hits total in the 10-inning opening game, Niagara got two apiece from four men—LF Kevin Paulsen (3 runs scored); 3B Greg Rodgers (2 RBI); CF Jordan Schwartz; and, 1B Joel Klock. Paulsen and Klock each hit doubles.
 
For NJIT, Matt Weckerle was the only player with two hits, which included his team-leading eighth home run of the year. The senior wrapped up a terrific final season, leading NJIT in batting average (.318). He also reached base 10 times on walks and 20 times on hit-by-pitch (among the national leaders) and was successful stealing 24 times on 24 attempts. He had eight doubles, four triples (the team had six total) and he scored a team-best 41 runs, while driving home 27 (second to Ed Charlton's 34). Charlton's hit in Sunday's opening game was a double.
 
Niagara got a run in the first inning when Paulsen, who had walked and stolen second base, scored on a two-out single for Rodgers. Paulsen also scored in the third inning after hitting a one-out double and stealing third base, where he came home on DH Michael Fuhrman's sacrifice fly.
 
NJIT got its first run after Charlton led off the fourth inning with a double and advanced to third base on a passed ball, which put him in position to score on 1B Tom Bouck's sacrifice fly.
 
Niagara starter Liam Stroud went 4.2 innings and allowed one run. Connor Sullivan followed Stroud and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings before Soja took over to begin the seventh inning.
 
After one out in the seventh, NJIT LF Teddy Bickert was hit by a pitch (there were five HBP in the game, four by the Purple Eagles). Weckerle followed with his two-run homer to right field, putting NJIT ahead, 3-2. 3B Mike Rampone was hit by a pitch and stole second base with one out, but the Highlanders couldn't get him home.

The advantage didn't hold for the Highlanders, as Klock led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and, after an out, pinch hitter Robert Hansen singled to push Klock to third base. SS Geoff Seto hit a fielder's choice ground ball, which NJIT unsuccessfully tried to turn into a double play, enabling Klock to scored the tying run from third base on the play. Bentley then induced another grounder and this time the Highlanders turned two to end the inning.
 
The game nearly ended in the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Highlanders cut off a run at the plate on a relay play that got the third out. Weckerle, the right fielder, Bouck, and 2B Rec MacMillan all got assists on the play.
 
After Bentley held Niagara scoreless in his final inning, the Highlanders went down 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th inning. In the bottom half, with Sondergard on in relief for NJIT, Paulsen hit a one-out single and headed to second base on a throwing error. A fly out moved Paulsen ahead to third base and he scored the game-winner on a single to the middle of the infield by Rodgers.
 
Game Two recap
NJIT had eight hits, paced by Weckerle's 2-for-4. Niagara, with 10 hits, got a 3-for-3 from Schwartz and two hits each from Fuhrman and DH Austin Miller. Schwartz drove in two runs. Niagara's Fuhrman and the Highlanders' DJ Roche (1-for-3, RBI) had the only doubles of the game.
 
The Highlanders did their last scoring of 2014 in a two-run top of the first inning. After an out, Weckerle singled and took second base on a wild pitch. Rampone walked and then Charlton walked to load the bases. Roche reached base on a fielder's choice that brought home Weckerle and Rampone later stole home for the second run.
 
Rampone, the junior infielder, had a fine season, finishing at .314 and hitting a team-leading 15 doubles, while also hitting three homers and collecting 24 RBI.
 
Niagara got its first run in the bottom of the first inning, when RF Anthony Firenzi, who had been hit by a pitch leading off, eventually stole home.
 
The game got out of hand for Daniele and NJIT in the bottom of the second inning, when Niagara scored four times on four hits and a walk. All the runs scored on singles, a two-run hit for Schwartz and one each on hits for Seto and Fuhrman.
 
Daniele took the mound for the bottom of the third inning, but he allowed two more singles and a run before giving way to Yanez with the Highlanders down 6-2.
 
It was the shortest start of the year for the freshman Daniele, who nonetheless made his mark with a solid 4-4 won-lost record and three double-figure strikeout games, including 12 Ks in six innings vs. NYIT in April.
 
Daniele began his career with a no-decision, allowing three hits and two runs in six innings on February 23 against Central Arkansas in what became a signature victory for NJIT against Central Arkansas, a team that won 42 games in 2013 and reached the championship game of its NCAA Division I Tournament Regional.
 
The Highlander bullpen allowed just one run over four innings against Niagara, but NJIT's fate was already sealed.