PRINCESS ANNE, MD—The NJIT baseball team registered its third win of the 2018 campaign, producing a season-high 17 hits with a convincing 12-1 victory at Maryland Eastern Shore Friday afternoon at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

NJIT LHP starting pitcher Brian Sondergard pitched six solid innings, allowing two hits and one run, posting his first win of the season.  The Highlander bullpen, which consisted of Andres Fernandez, John Saviano and Brent Jones kept the Hawks scoreless over the last three innings.

The offense exploded for 12 runs on a season-high 17 hits as four Highlanders produced multiple hits.

Junior SS Justin Etts went 4-for-6 at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring three while sophomore RF Matthew Cocciadiferro, an ASUN All-Freshmen team honoree last season, hit a three-run homer in the second to send the Highlanders up 4-0.

CF Michael Anastasia blasted a two-run homer in the seventh inning to widen NJIT's lead to 12-1, as the junior finished 2-for-5 with RBI. Friday marked the first two homers of the season for the Highlanders. 

Freshman 3B David Marcano went 3-for-4, 1B Julio Marcano went 2-for-4 and LF Jesse Uttendorfer finished 2-for-5 with two runs.

NJIT got off to an early start in the top of the first, 1-0, after a double down the left field line by SS Justin Etts, scoring LF Jesse Uttendorfer, who laid down a bunt single down the third base line, stole second and scored on the double.

In the top of the third, Cocciadiferro, hit his first home run of the 2018 season, a three-run blast, giving the Highlanders a 4-0 lead.  Freshman 1B Julio Marcano and 2B Tom Brady, both scored on the play, after Marcano led off the inning with a double to right center and Brady, who reached on an error by the Hawks shortstop.

Maryland Eastern Shore (1-10) tacked on its first run of the game in the bottom of the third, on an RBI single to right center by Dillon Oxyer, driving in Jordan Torres, who led off the inning reaching first on a Highlander throwing error.

NJIT poured in three runs in the top of the sixth, a single run in the top of the seventh and four runs in the seventh for a comfortable 12-1 advantage.  NJIT's Michael Anastasia blasted a two-run homer in the seventh to add to the Highlanders run total.

NJIT and Maryland Eastern Shore will begin Saturday's doubleheader at 11am and conclude the four-game series on Sunday at 11am.