HAMDEN, CT—NJIT and Quinnipiac split a doubleheader Friday in the first-ever baseball games between the two programs, with Quinnipiac taking the opening contest 5-1 and the visiting Highlanders rebounding for a 6-1 win in the nightcap. Both contests were seven innings.
 
Having split a doubleheader for the seventh time this season, NJIT is 23-22-1, while Quinnipiac is 26-24. The two teams are slated for another pair of seven-inning games on Saturday, starting at noon. Saturday's action will end the 2015 schedule for NJIT.
 
Quinnipiac put one run on the board in the bottom of the first inning of the day and the Highlanders drew even with a run in the top of the third. The 1-1 deadlock held until a decisive three-run fifth inning for the home team.
 
The second game followed a similar pattern, except this time it was NJIT that broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Highlanders got a run in the opening half-inning, but Quinnipiac answered with a run of its own in the second. NJIT inched ahead with a run in the fourth and then plated four runs in the fifth for a commanding 6-1 advantage, which is where the score finished.
 
Game One
Quinnipiac used three pitchers to navigate its way to the 5-1 victory and the winning pitcher was RHP Taylor Luciani (2-3), who relieved the starter, RHP Thomas Jenkins, to begin the fifth inning.
 
Jenkins had held the Highlanders to a run on five hits and a walk. Luciani allowed a hit and two walks, but managed to leave the bases loaded without allowing a run in his only inning and then had the good fortune to be the pitcher of record when his teammates broke open the score with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
 
RHP Matthew Lorenzetti saved the win with two scoreless innings working behind Luciani.
 
NJIT's Ian Bentley (7-4) started and took the loss in a complete-game effort in the final appearance of his junior season.
 
The left-hander, who set the NJIT Division I record for wins in the season when he beat Manhattan in his previous start on May 9, tossed his seventh complete game on Friday, giving Bentley the NJIT DI record in that category. He had shared the mark with Tripp Davis (2011).
 
NJIT actually outhit the winning team, 7-6, but the Bobcats drew four walks and a hit-by-pitch. The six Quinnipiac hits came from six different batters, with 1B Vincent Guglietti (1-for-3) hitting QU's only double and driving in two runs.  
 
The Highlanders had seven hits, paced by three from senior 3B Mike Rampone and two from freshman 2B Johnny Malatesta. The two NJIT hitting leaders each had a double and Rampone drove in the only run.
 
Quinnipiac, which never trailed in the opener, got started promptly with a walk to leadoff batter Mike Palladino, who advanced on his team-leading 23rd steal of the season. A fielder's choice pushed him to third base and he scored on a bunt single by SS Matthew Batten.
 
NJIT got what would be its only run when Rampone's double to left field brought in RF Matt McKinnon, who opened the third inning with a single. It was the 46th career double for Rampone, adding to his school record total.
 
Bentley, who held Quinnipiac to a run and two hits through four innings ran into trouble in the fifth, walking two of his first four batters in the frame.
 
Still, he had gotten two outs along the way. But Guglietti's two-out double right center field broke the 1-1 tie and C Louis Iannotti singled to bring in Guglietti before Bentley could get the elusive third out.
 
The two-out spurt by the Bobcats came after NJIT had loaded the bases with one out in the top of the inning, but couldn't score.
 
Game Two
Freshman Sean Lubreski (5-4) started and earned the win for the Highlanders with four innings of three-hit, one-run ball (a starting pitcher can be credited with a win by pitching four innings in a game scheduled for seven, as opposed to the standard five-inning requirement in the professional game). Lubreski's five wins have all come in his last eight starts, including the last two games.
 
In gaining his fifth victory, Lubreski joins classmate Johnny Malatesta as the first freshmen to win to win five games in a season for NJIT in Division I competition. Malatesta is slated to make his final rookie start in one of Saturday's two games.
 
Freshman Tommy Derer (0.2 innings) and senior Tyler Kapp (2.1 innings) came out of the Highlander bullpen to shut out Quinnipiac over the last three frames and secure the doubleheader split.
 
Quinnipiac, too, used three pitchers in the nightcap and the loss went to the starter, freshman RHP Robert Hitt (5-4), who allowed all six NJIT runs on seven hits and two walks in 4.1 innings.
 
NJIT got its six runs on nine hits, led by freshman center fielder and leadoff batter Jesse Uttendorfer, who finished the game 2-for-4 and scored twice. Sophomore C Cody Kramer was 2-for-2 with a walk and finished the game with two runs batted in.
 
Five Highlanders had one hit each, including senior Ed Charlton, who doubled and drove in a run, and 2B Rex MacMillan, who also doubled.
 
Quinnipiac 2B Scott Donaghue, who drove in Quinnipiac's fifth run in the opening game with a sacrifice fly, went 2-for-4 in the nightcap, while Ianonotti, serving as designated hitter after catching the opener, batted 2-for-3, including a double in Game Two.
 
Just as Quinnipiac never trailed in winning Game One, NJIT never trailed in the second game, claiming a quick 1-0 edge in the top of the first. Uttendorfer, singled to open the game and then swiped second for his team-best 17th steal. Charlton then doubled him home for the senior's team-best 33rd RBI of 2015.
 
The Bobcats got the run back in the second, as Iannotti doubled leading off and later scored on a sacrifice fly by 3B Ben Gibson.
 
NJIT went ahead to stay with a manufactured run in the fourth inning. With one out, LF Evan Pietronico and Kramer hit back-to-back singles, with Pietronico reaching third on the Kramer knock. The duo then pulled off a successful double-steal, with Pietronico scoring the go-ahead (ultimately, winning) run on the play.
 
Holding just a 2-1 lead, the Highlanders settled matters with four runs on five hits in the top of the fifth inning. The runs came in on singles by DH Stephan Halibej, SS Bryan Haberstroh, and Kramer, whose two-out hit brought in a pair of runs.