HANOVER, MD—NJIT baseball has its first two-game sweep of the 2016 season, thanks to a 9-2 and 3-2 sweep of Saturday's baseball doubleheader at Coppin State at Joe Cannon Stadium.

The Highlanders are 5-8 on the season while Coppin State is 1-12.

NJIT got strong pitching in both ends of the doubleheader Saturday, with sophomore RHP Sean Lubreski (3-1), starting things with seven strong innings, as he scattered four hits, with no runs and six strikeouts with two walks.  Sophomore LHP Justin Chin pitched the last two innings, yielding two hits and two runs (earned) with one strikeout.

In the nightcap, senior LHP Ian Bentley pitched 6.1 innings, allowing eight hits and two runs (1 earned), while striking out eight and,walking one, good for his second win of the season.  Sophomore RHP Tommy Derer pitched the last 0.2 recording the final two outs of the game for his second save of the season.

In the first game, Coppin State's freshman Devin Sutorius (1-2) pitched 5.0 innings, letting up nine hits, nine runs (eight earned), fanning seven Highlanders with four walks.  Sophomore Delvin McFadden and freshman Jahmon Taylor each pitched a pair of scoreless, innings to finish the game.  In the second game, freshman Aaron Rea worked a complete 7-inning game, allowing six hits and three runs (2 earned).

NJIT took the upper hand in the first game, with two runs in the first, four in the second and one more in the third for a 7-0 lead through four innings.  The Highlanders added two runs in the fifth before Coppin State scored a pair in the bottom of the eighth.

The Highlanders produced 10 hits in the game – CF Jesse Uttendorfer (2-for-6, 2 RBI), 2B Johnny Malatesta (3-for-4, RBI), LF Evan Pietronico (2-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 doubles), C Cody Kramer (1-for-4), 3B Tom Brady (1-for-4) and SS Justin Etts (1-for-3, 2 RBI).

The leading hitter for Coppin State was 1B Jamar Criss (2-for-4, RBI).

Pietronico drove in the first run of the game with a double to left field and later scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.

The next four runs in the bottom of the second inning, came on three hits and one Coppin State error.  NJIT added a run in the top of the third on a triple by Etts.

NJIT added two more runs in the top of the fifth behind a double from Pietronico, extending the Highlander lead to 9-0.

The runs for Coppin State in the eighth came on a single by Criss and double by Bryant Miranda.

It took longer for the Highlanders to score in the second game.  NJIT scored one run in the third inning, when Uttendorfer hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Michael Anastasia, who led off the inning with a single to center.

The tight 1-0 score held into the bottom of the fourth inning, when Coppin State added a run on an RBI single from Erik Crossman.

NJIT got its two runs in the fifth inning, with one coming in on a homer by Anastasia, the first of his career and the other scoring on Pietronico's single.

Coppin State threatened in the bottom of the seventh, on an RBI single by Criss but NJIT reliever Derer registered the final two outs of the game, edging Copping State, 3-2.

Anastasia was 2-for-3 in game two, including his first collegiate home run, and the other Highlander hits were by four different batters – Malatesta, Pietronico, Kramer, and DH Stephan Halibej.

Coppin State had 8 hits, with Criss, finishing 3-for-4 and C Andrew O'Dwyer (2-for-3).

The three-game series between NJIT and Coppin State is scheduled to conclude on Sunday at 9am.  The game was originally scheduled for 12Noon.