NEWARK, NJ—NYIT pinch hitter Jake Lebel hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh and the Bears held on for a 10-7 win in game one while NJIT junior Justin Chin pitched three scoreless innings in relief, picking up his first save of the season in the nightcap of the Highlanders 6-2 win over the Bears at Riverfront Stadium Sunday afternoon.

With the Sunday split, NJIT moves to 7-36 on the season with six games remaining on the 2017 schedule while NYIT concludes the 2017 season with a 5-36-1 overall record.  NYIT baseball, which competes at the NCAA Division I level, concludes the D1 era and will move to NCAA Division II beginning in 2018, aligning with the University's varsity sports and compete in the East Coast Conference.

NJIT will conclude its home portion of the 2017 schedule this weekend, hosting ASUN Conference opponent Kennesaw State.  The first of the three game series will begin on Friday at 6pm, Saturday at 1pm, which will also be Senior Day/Alumni Day and wrap up on Sunday at 12pm.

Game One
NYIT starting pitcher Ben Wright (2-7) picked up his second win of the season, pitching 5.2 inning, allowing four hits, five runs while striking out two Highlanders. 

Lebel, who pinch hit for the NYIT in the top of the seventh, went 1-for-1, including his third home run of the season – a grand slam to left field.  CF Joey Fusco went 1-for-3 with two runs batted and one run scored.

NJIT's relief pitcher James Sofield (1-1) was stuck with the loss, pitching the final 3.1 innings, striking out three Bear batters.

Highlanders CF Jesse Uttendorfer went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored, including a bases-clearing triple to right field in the bottom of the fifth. 

NYIT scored a single run in the top of the first with bases loaded on a fielding error by the Highlanders, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, NJIT tied the game at 1-1 on a bases loaded wild pitch, scoring DH Edgar Badaraco, who led off the inning with a walk.

The Bears broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth, scoring a pair of runs on a double down the left field line by CF Joey Fusco and added a single run on a double down the left field line by RF Jon Tenaglia, pushing the Bears ahead, 4-1.

NYIT added a run in the top of the fifth on an RBI single to right field, scoring Anthony Martelli from second, extending the Bears lead, 5-1.

NJIT tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fifth on a bases clearing triple to right field by CF Jesse Uttendorfer and the Highlanders tied the game at 5-5 on a fielding error by NYIT's third baseman, scoring Uttendorfer.

The visitors regained the lead in the top of the sixth, 6-5, on a sacrifice fly to center field by Martelli and broke open the game, 10-5, in the top of the seventh with a pinch hit grand slam to left field by Jake Lebel.  The home run for Lebel was his third of the season.

NJIT started off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back doubles to right center, as Uttendorfer drove in the first run of the inning, scoring RF Michael Anastasia.  2B Johnny Malatesta's sacrifice fly to center field scored Uttendorfer, pulling within three of the Bears, 10-7, but NYIT struck out the side to earn its first road win the season.

Game Two
NJIT's left-handed pitching duo Aquib Ramkishun (1-3) and Justin Chin (1 save) combined for a seven-inning 6-2 victory for the Highlanders.  Ramkishun pitched 4.0 innings, letting up six hits and surrendering two runs while Justin Chin pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits in his first collegiate save.

Michael Anastasia was the lone Highlander with a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored while DH Cody Kramer, 2B Johnny Malatesta, 3B Tommy Derer and C Brady Hall, each recorded a hit in the game.

NYIT starting pitcher Christopher Miller (1-5) was credited with the loss, pitching 3.0 innings, allowing four runs, two hits while fanning four Highlanders.

NYIT SS Ben McNeil went a perfect 4-for-4 while 2B Anthony Martelli and LF Nick Vlahakis each drove in a run for the Bears.

The Bears got on the board first in game two plating two runs in the top of the third, on a sacrifice fly to center field by LF Nick Vlahakis and a ground out to shortstop by 2B Anthony Martelli, driving in RF Jon Tenaglia, who singled through the left side for a 2-0 lead.

NJIT scored three runs in the bottom of the third, taking a 3-2 lead, on one hit, a single to left field by RF Michael Anastasia, a pair of walks and hit-basemen and one Bear error.

The Highlanders added a run in the bottom of the fourth on a ground out to the pitcher by Anastasia, scoring Uttendorfer from third base and a single run in the fifth on an RBI single to center field by C Brady Hall, extending the Highlander lead to 5-2 lead.

NJIT's Cody Kramer drove in the Highlanders first run of the sixth inning on an RBI single to center field, driving in Pietronico, who reached first on a fielder's choice.