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NEWARK, NJ—Four Stetson pitchers combined to hold NJIT to two hits and a lone first-inning run, as the visiting Hatters claimed a 3-1 win over the Highlanders on Saturday in the second of a three-game Atlantic Sun Conference weekend series between the teams.
The visiting Hatters, who were 16-6 winners in the series opener on Friday night, evened their overall record and A-Sun record to the break-even mark, going to 23-23 overall and 7-7 in conference play with Saturday's victory.
Junior right-hander Mitchell Wilson (4-5) started and got the win for the visitors, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing both NJIT hits and the first-inning run. He struck out six and walked two.
A trio of relievers—junior LHP Tyler Keller, freshman RHP Logan Gilbert, and junior RHP Walker Sheller--combined to hold NJIT without a base runner over the final 3.2 innings.
Keller entered with a 2-1 lead and runners on first and second, with one out in the sixth inning and induced an inning-ending double play for his day's work. Gilbert faced the minimum six batters and struck out four of them in his two innings. And Sheller tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to notch his ninth save of the season. The Stetson pitchers combined to strike out 11 in nine innings and seven different Highlanders fanned at least once
NJIT (17-28 overall; 2-11 A-Sun) got fine pitching, as well. Senior LHP
Ian Bentley (4-4) was stuck with the loss, but went eight full innings and allowed nine hits and three runs, while striking out five and walking two. Sophomore RHP
Tommy Derer finished up with his strongest appearance in a long time, working a perfect top of the ninth inning.
Stetson hit three doubles among its nine total hits and two Hatters, DH Kirk Sidwell and RF John Fussell, got two hits apiece. Sidwell had one of the doubles for his team.
NJIT's two hits were: an RBI double into the left center field gap by DH
Stephan Halibej in the opening inning and a single by LF
Evan Pietronico leading off the home half of the sixth inning. Pietronico, who walked in the first inning, scored what would be the only run of the day for the Highlanders when Halibej doubled with one out.
Stetson, which has not trailed in the opening two games of the series, scored once off of Bentley in the opening inning. 2B Matt Morales hit a double with one out and Sidwell singled to drive him home two batters later.
The Highlanders evened the score in the bottom of the frame, as Pietronico walked and stole second base in front of Halibej's run-scoring double.
Stetson's Jordan and NJIT's Bentley cruised through the next three innings, with Jordan not allowing a base runner and Bentley scattering a second-inning walk, a third-inning hit-by-pitch, and a fourth inning double.
Stetson broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth. SS Colton Lightner led off with a single, but was taken off the bases on a fielder's choice out at second base. CF Vance Vizcaino, who hit into the force out and replaced Lightner on the bases, then stole second, advanced to third on a fly out, and scored on a two-out single by 3B Cory Reid.
NJIT threatened to tie in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pietronico led off with a single and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by CF
Jesse Uttendorfer. After a coaching visit to the mound, Stetson pitched carefully to Halibej and he drew a walk, putting the potential go-ahead run on base with one out. That brought in Keller, who served up the inning-ending double play ground ball.
Stetson added an insurance run in an eighth inning that featured some tough breaks for Bentley. Sidwell, leading off, hit a flare that landed just inside the foul line a few feet beyond the first base bag and he legged out a double.
The next batter, Fussell, the Stetson right fielder, dunked a softly-hit single into shallow right field, advancing Jacob Koos, who had entered as a pinch-runner for Fussell, to third base with one out. Koos then scored on the first well-struck ball of the inning, a sacrifice fly to center field by C Austin Hale.
Bentley, who is in the home stretch of a stellar four-year career for NJIT that has seen him post a program Division I-record 20 wins, ended the eighth inning with a strikeout.
The series finale, set for Sunday at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium is now scheduled to begin at 1 pm due to the forecast of rain in Newark on Sunday morning.
