DURHAM, NC—The NJIT baseball team split at NC Central, taking the first game, 5-4, behind two strong pitching performances by Sean Lubreski and Tommy Derer, and the Highlanders took a loss in the night cap, 6-5, in eight-innings at Durham Athletic Park.

With Saturday's split vs. NC Central, NJIT is 3-6 on the season while the Eagles are 6-5.

NJIT and NC Central are scheduled to meet again in a single game on Sunday at 1 pm, wrapping up the three-game series.

NJIT struck first in game two, scoring three in the first inning and added a run in the top of the third for a 4-1 lead.  NC Central got two runs back in the bottom of the third and went ahead, scoring three in the bottom of the fourth, for a 5-4 lead.

The Highlanders tied the score at 5-5 in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by RF Evan Pietronico.  The Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the eighth on an NJIT error, breaking the 5-5 tie and went on to win 6-5 in eight innings.

In the opening game, NC Central got things, going, scoring two in the bottom of the second.  NJIT exploded for four runs in the top of the fourth for a 4-2 lead.  Both teams scored a run in the seventh inning, and NC Central added a run in the bottom of the ninth but the Highlanders held on for the 5-4 victory.

Game Two (NC Central 6, NJIT 5)
NC Central used three pitchers to get through the last four innings, two of which held the Highlanders scoreless.  Andrew Vernon, the third pitcher, lasted 2.0 innings and was charged with one hit, one run, two walks while, fanning three Highlanders.  The last pitcher, Jamar Hinton, earned his first win of the season, allowing no hits, no runs with one strikeout in the final inning.

NJIT used three pitchers in game two.  Bryan Haberstroh, the starting pitcher for NJIT, pitched the first 3.2 innings followed by Brent Jones, who pitched two scoreless innings for the Highlanders, while striking out three Eagles.  The third pitcher for NJIT was John Saviano (0-2), who was credited with the loss, pitching the final 1.2 innings, letting up two hits and one run.

CF Carlos Ortiz led the way for the Eagles in game two, going 3-for-4 with two RBI while SS Thomas Prospero hit 2-for-4, including his first triple of the season, driving in two runs.  3B Ellington Hopkins finished 2-for-3 with three runs.

NJIT combined for eight hits led by 1B Stephan Halibej with a 2-for-3 performance, including a double.  Halibej drove in two of the Highlanders five runs in game two.  Pietronico went 2-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI while 3B Tom Brady and LF Michael Anastasia each drove in a run.

In the top of the first, Jesse Uttendorfer led off the game with a double to left field.  SS Johnny Malatesta reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt.  Halibej doubled to left center driving in two while Brady singled to left field for the Highlanders third run in the inning.

NJIT added a run in the top of the third on a single through the right side by Anastasia, putting the Highlanders ahead, 4-0.  The Eagles put a pair of runs on the board in the bottom third on three hits pulling with two of the visitors, 4-2.

NC Central combined for three runs in the bottom of the fourth on three hits, one NJIT error, taking a 5-4 lead.

The Highlanders tied the game in the top of the seventh on an RBI double to left field by Pietronico, scoring Malatesta, who led off the inning with a walk.

The Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the eighth on an NJIT error, breaking the 5-5 tie, and went on to win 6-5, in eight innings.

Game One (NJIT 5, NC Central 4)
NJIT starting RHP Sean Lubreski (2-1) was strong in the opener, allowing five hits, three runs with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.  Sophomore RHP Tommy Derer, making his third appearance of the season, picked up his first save of the season pitching the final 2.2 innings, letting up two hits, one run while striking out four Eagles.

For NC Central, senior RHP Cameron Scalzo (1-2) started and took the loss after, pitching six innings and allowing four Highlander runs.  Sophomore RHP Justice Sampson pitched 2.0 innings, letting up three hits and one run in relief for the Eagles.

NJIT, which had eight hits in the opener, got four of them from leadoff hitter CF Jesse Uttendorfer and SS Johnny Malatesta.  Uttendorfer and LF Michael Anastasia each drove in a run while C Cody Kramer, playing in his first game of the 2016 season, drove in a pair of runs for NJIT.

NC Central got seven hits in game one, from six different players, including home runs from 1B Christian Triplett in the top of the seventh inning and 3B Ellington Hopkins in the bottom of the ninth.

The Highlanders got things going in the bottom of the fourth, as Bryan Haberstroh reached base on a hit-by-pitch followed by a single to right field by DH Stephan Halibej.  After a sac bunt by 2B Tom Brady, which advanced Haberstroh and Halibej into, scoring position, Anastasia knocked in the Highlanders first run of the game on fielder's choice.  NJIT's Kramer doubled to left center, scoring two while Uttendorfer hit a double of his own, driving in Kramer for a 4-2 lead.

NJIT's Haberstroh drove in the lone run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single to second, taking a 5-2 advantage.

NC Central hit a homer in the seventh and ninth, threatening in the final inning, but NJIT's Derer recorded his fourth strike out of the game, securing the win and picking up his first save on the year.