NEWARK, NJ—NJIT baseball has its first three-game winning streak of the 2015 season thanks to a 6-3 and 4-2 sweep of Saturday's doubleheader vs. LIU Brooklyn at Riverfront Stadium.
 
The Highlanders, who began the streak with an 8-3 win over LIU on Friday afternoon, are 9-7 after sweeping Saturday's doubleheader. LIU Brooklyn is 7-12.
 
NJIT got strong pitching in both ends of the doubleheader Saturday, with junior LHP Ian Bentley (3-2) starting things with a complete-game effort, as he scattered 8 hits in 7 innings, with 3 runs (2 earned) and 10 strikeouts without a walk.
 
In the nightcap, freshman RHP Sean Lubreski started and last 6 innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 runs, while walking two and striking out five, good for his first college victory. Freshman RHP John Saviano pitched the last inning and allowed one hit without a run for his first college save.
 
Both LIU Brooklyn starting pitchers worked complete games in defeat. Sophomore RHP Bobby Maxwell (1-1) allowed 9 hits and 6 runs for the Blackbirds in the opening game. In the second game, sophomore RHP Mark Hernandez (1-2) allowed 5 hits and 4 runs (1 earned) in 6 innings.
 
NJIT took the upper hand in the first game, with a run in the first inning, two in the third, and two more in the fourth for a 5-0 lead through four innings. The Blackbirds got back into contention with two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, before the Highlanders got another run in the sixth inning.
 
With the wind blowing out at Riverfront Stadium, the Highlanders blasted four home runs—two for SS Bryan Haberstroh (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and one each for CF Ed Charlton (1-for-3, RBI) and DH Evan Pietronico (2-for-3, RBI). Pietronico, a freshman, also hit a double in addition to his first college homer.
 
The leading hitter for the Blackbirds was senior CF Jon McAllister (2-for-3, 2 RBI).
 
Haberstroh's first home run was a one-out shot over the right field fence in the bottom of the first inning. The next two runs, in the bottom of the third, came on back-to-back home runs by Charlton and Haberstroh.
 
NJIT added two more runs in the fourth behind run-scoring singles from 2B Johnny Malatesta and LF Matt McKinnon. Pietronico led off the bottom of the sixth inning with his home run.
 
Both Blackbird runs in the fifth inning came in on a single by McAllister and the sixth-inning LIU run came home during a double-play ground out.
 
It took longer for the Highlanders to get a significant lead in the second game. They scored an unearned run in the first inning, when Charlton singled to lead off and then advanced two bases on an error. He came home 3B Mike Rampone's sacrifice fly.
 
The tight 1-0 score held into the bottom of the fourth inning, when NJIT added three runs (one earned). a Malatesta had a sacrifice fly in the frame. Two more unearned runs came in on the play after an error.
 
LIU got its two runs in the sixth inning, with one coming in on a base-loaded walk and the other scoring C Harrison Preschel's single.
 
Charlton was 2-for-3 in Game Two, including a double, and the other Highlander hits were three singles by three different batters—Rampone, DH Stephan Halibej, and C Cody Kramer.
 
LIU Brooklyn had 8 hits, with two each for McAllister, the pitcher, Hernandez, and 1B Melvin Rios.
 
The four-game series between NJIT and LIU Brooklyn is scheduled to conclude on Sunday at noon in Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.