EASTON, PA—Visiting NJIT scored what would be its only run in the top of the first inning, but the rest of Sunday afternoon's game belonged to Lafayette, which rolled to a 10-1 win in nine innings to secure the rubber match of the three-game weekend baseball series between the teams.
 
The teams had split a doubleheader in Newark on Saturday afternoon, with the Highlanders prevailing in the opener, 5-2, before the Leopards won the nightcap, 8-2.
 
Adding Sunday's final to the record, NJIT is 20-19-1, while Lafayette goes to 13-25-1.
 
The first-inning run was unearned for the Highlanders, who got back-to-back singles from senior standouts CF Ed Charlton and 3B Mike Rampone. A wild pitch moved them each up a base and after a strikeout, Charlton came across the plate on a Lafayette error.
 
Despite the run being unearned, the Highlanders had the two hits in the opening inning. However, they managed just three more hits the rest of the way.
 
Starting and winning pitcher John Cain (1-2) pitched the first six innings got Lafayette, holding the Highlanders to four hits and two walks, while striking out five. Three relievers—Cory Spera, Art Kaufman, and Connor McMahon—combined to blank NJIT on a hit and a walk over the final three innings.
 
Lafayette tied the score in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by 1B Toby Schwartz and the Leopards went ahead to stay with two more tallies in the bottom of the second inning.
 
LF Luke Robinson walked to lead off the Leopard second inning and then stole second before scoring on a single by C Parker Hills and RF Brett Thompson added another run-scoring single later in the frame for a 3-1 lead.
 
The home team piled on two more runs in the third inning, thanks to a two-run home run for Hills, his first of the year. and the Leopards plated another run in the bottom of the fifth inning for a 6-1 lead.
 
Lafayette finished off with four runs on just one hit, a two-run single by Schwartz, in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
With 10 hits in the game, the Leopards got two each from Schwartz, DH Tim Lazor, 3B James McCool, and Hills. Schwartz and Hills were each credited with three runs batted in.
 
The starting and losing pitcher for NJIT was freshman Sean Lubreski (3-4), who allowed five runs (three earned) in three innings.
 
The Highlanders called on four more pitchers and all but freshman RHP Tommy Derer allowed at least one run. Derer allowed a hit and walked two in two scoreless innings, as he lowered his team-best earned run average to 1.16. He has pitched a total of 23.1 innings in 13 appearances, allowing just three earned runs (four total).
 
Charlton, the center fielder, was the only Highlander with more than one hit Sunday, as he got two hits, including a double, in four at-bats, plus a base-on-balls.
 
Freshman DH Evan Pietronico also doubled in one of his three at-bats.
 
NJIT is off during the upcoming week ahead of a four-game, two-day weekend series at home May 9 and 10 against Manhattan. The Highlanders and Jaspers are slated to play doubleheaders both days starting at noon in Riverfront Stadium.