NEWARK, NJ—NJIT gave up a run in the sixth inning to fall behind visiting Saint Peter's 2-1, but the Highlanders poured seven runs across the plate in their final three innings at bat, including four in the bottom of the sixth, and pulled away from the Peacocks, 8-3, Tuesday night at Riverfront Stadium.
 
With the win, the Highlanders are 19-17-1 on the season, while Saint Peter's falls to 8-27-1. The tie on both teams' records came when they met on March 31 in Jersey City and were deadlocked 8-8 after 10 innings when the game was called due to darkness. It was NJIT's only tie in baseball since the Highlanders began Division I competition in the 2007 season.
 
The score was tied Tuesday night, 1-1, with the pitchers for both teams in control through five innings.
 
Peacock starter Tom Puza, a freshman right-hander allowed NJIT a run in the opening frame, but followed with four straight zeros on the scoreboard.
 
Joe Fasano, NJIT's senior RHP, started and shut out the Peacocks for three innings before allowing the tying run in the top of the fourth inning.
 
Another senior, lefty Tyler Kapp took over from Fasano to begin the fifth inning and allowed SPU to score the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning. However, in the bottom half, NJIT got to Puza for three hits, including a two-run homer for C Cody Kramer. At the same time, the visitors committed two critical errors and only one of the runs in the inning was charged to Puza as earned.
 
The events of the bottom of the sixth inning made Kapp the winning pitcher, as he evened his won-lost record to 1-1, while Puza took the loss to go 0-2.
 
Kapp worked 2.1 innings of relief, allowing the one run, which scored on his two-out wild pitch, with one hit allowed and three strikeouts.
 
Fasano had pitched four innings and allowed a run on three hits and two walks. The third NJIT pitcher, Brent Jones, pitched one inning and gave up an unearned run. Tommy Derer finished for the Highlanders, earning his second save of the season with 1.2 innings of scoreless, hitless relief. He walked one and struck out two.
 
Puza's line for Saint Peter's was: 6 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs (1 earned), with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts. He was relieved by senior Jason Midkiff, who was tagged with three runs (two earned) in 1.2 innings with two hits, two walks, a hit-by-pitch, and four strikeouts. Nathaniel Leon got the final out for SPU, retiring the only batter he faced to strand two Highlanders on base.
 
NJIT's hitting leaders were: senior CF Ed Charlton (2-for-5, triple, 2 RBI); DH Evan Pietronico (2-for-3, double); and, Kramer (whose 1-for-4 included the two-run homer).
 
Six of NJIT's eight hits went for extra bases, with doubles from RF Jesse Uttendorfer, SS Bryan Haberstroh, and 1B Stephan Halibej in addition to the Pietronico two-bagger, the Charlton triple and the Kramer home run.
 
Saint Peter's had four hits, which came from four different batters. Two hits were singles, while LF Chris Hugg and 1B Nick Henriquez each added a double.
 
The Highlanders got their first run when Charlton hit a one-out triple in the opening inning and then scored on a ground out by 2B Mike Rampone.
 
The Peacocks pulled even in the fourth after Henriquez doubled with two out and then scored on a single by LF Kyle Grimes.
 
Saint Peter's went up a run in the sixth inning. Hugg drove the ball off the fence in right center field for a double and moved up on a ground out before scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Faced with a deficit for the first time of the night, Haberstroh hit a double with one out. Halibej followed with a towering shot to right field. Waiting to see if the ball would be caught, Haberstroh only reached third base after Halibej's ball dropped. However, Haberstroh came in to score when the ensuing throw in from right field got away. With the Peacock infield playing in, Pietronico reached base when his ground ball scooted through for an error, with Halibej coming home on the play. After another out, Kramer cleared the bases with his first career home run.
 
The Highlanders got another run in the seventh inning when they executed a steal play that is almost never seen in professional baseball, but is relatively common in high school and seen occasionally in college ball. Uttendorfer led off with a double and, after an out, Rampone walked. After another out, the two base runners put on the play where the runner at first takes off for second to draw a throw from the catcher with the intent of allowing the runner on third base to steal home. With the run down in progress, Saint Peter's threw away the ball and Uttendorfer scored.
 
The Peacocks picked up an unearned run in the ninth inning after CF Nick Cardamone reached base on an error and later scored on a wild pitch. The Highlanders answered in the bottom of the frame, with two runs scoring on a single for Charlton.
 
NJIT has three series remaining on its schedule. The Highlanders are set to play three games this weekend vs. Lafayette. The series begins Saturday at noon with the Highlanders hosting the Leopards for a pair in Riverfront Stadium. NJIT plans to visit Lafayette on Sunday for one game, starting at 1 pm.
 
The following weekend calls for Saturday and Sunday home doubleheaders vs. Manhattan and the slate ends on May 15 and 16 in Connecticut at Quinnipiac.