NEWARK, NJ—Visiting Manhattan turned the tables on NJIT in stunning fashion Sunday, sweeping a baseball doubleheader from the Highlanders at Riverfront Stadium, 2-1 and 11-1. The two wins for the Jaspers came 24 hours after NJIT had dominated Manhattan, 7-3 and 9-1.
With the weekend complete, Manhattan's record is 17-32, while the Highlanders drop to 22-21-1.
In Saturday's doubleheader, NJIT had 14 innings'-worth of at-bats and scored 16 runs on 32 hits, including seven doubles and a home run. On Sunday, the Highlanders batted in 16 innings and managed a total of two runs on nine hits, two of which were doubles.
Sunday's doubleheader was the final home date of 2015 for NJIT, which honored
Ed Charlton,
Joe Fasano,
Tyler Kapp, and
Mike Rampone in Senior Day ceremonies held between games on Sunday. Charlton and Rampone are four-year players who have been starters since Day One.
Fasano and Kapp are both fifth-year senior pitchers who missed one season each due to injury and have used their last season of eligibility in 2015.
Manhattan won Sunday's opener 2-1, as sophomores Joe Jacques (3-2) and Mark Simonetti combined to limit the Highlanders to just two hits and a lone run, which was unearned. Jacques, a left-hander allowed the two hits and a run in five innings, while the right-handed Simonetti worked the last two scoreless innings to pick up his fourth save of the year.
NJIT freshman RHP
Johnny Malatesta (5-4) pitched well enough to win most games, but was the hard-luck loser after going the full seven innings and allowing six hits and two runs, one of which was earned. It was the second complete game for Malatesta in his rookie season.
Manhattan got both of its runs off of Malatesta in the second inning. With one out, 1B Vin Teixeira (2-for-3) doubled and C Mike Miranda followed with a run-scoring single. An error on a fielder's choice play allowed Miranda to come around with the unearned run.
The Jaspers held on the rest of the way, with the only scoring blemish for Manhattan coming in the bottom of the fifth inning, when C
Cody Kramer led off with a hit-by-pitch and advanced to second base on a fielding error. He later scored an unearned run when RF
Matt McKinnon singled with two out.
NJIT, which got its first hit on a single by Rampone in the fourth inning, left two men on base in its scoring inning, the fifth, but did not get a base runner after that.
The Highlanders did not get a hit in the nightcap until 2B
Rex MacMillan doubled down the left field line with one out in the bottom of the third inning, but it was far too late by then, with the score at 5-0 in favor of the visitors.
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, Manhattan struck for two runs in the second inning and three each in the third and fourth innings. The Highlanders finally scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Jaspers tacked on a run in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth for the 11-1 final.
Manhattan sophomore RHP Joe Rocchietti (2-6) started and got the win after pitching five innings and allowing no runs on three hits. Four different relievers pitched an inning apiece, with the second reliever, James D'Angelo yielding the NJIT run.
Fasano (3-3) started and took the loss for the Highlanders. He was followed by four freshmen relievers and the senior Kapp.
Fasano and Kapp each received ovations in appreciation of their careers when they exited the mound and NJIT coach
Brian Guiliana had Rampone and Charlton take the field to begin the ninth inning before replacing them ahead of the inning's first pitch so that the home crowd could acknowledge them for a final time.
Manhattan had 14 hits in the second game, topped three each from CF Brendan Bisset and SS Joe McClennan, who each hit a double. Teixeira and C Chris Reynolds each had two-hit games for the visitors, as well.
NJIT had seven hits in the second game, paced by MacMillan's 2-for-4. MacMillan's singled plated DH
Stephan Halibej with the only NJIT run of Game Two.
Having completed their home schedule, the Highlanders are slated for a four-game series in Hamden, CT, at Quinnipiac, which, like Manhattan plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The teams are scheduled to meet in a doubleheader on Friday and another doubleheader on Saturday. Both twin bills will begin at noon.
Quinnipiac, which owns a 25-23 overall record, has qualified to play in the six-team MAAC postseason tournament the following weekend. For NJIT, the series at Quinnipiac will close the 2015 schedule.
