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JACKSONVILLE, FL—Fifth-seeded Lipscomb defeated sixth-seeded NJIT, 10-5, on day two of the 2018 ASUN Baseball Championship hosted by University of North Florida at UNF Harmon Stadium Thursday afternoon.

NJIT concludes the season with 22 wins, the most wins since the 2015 season, program-best nine ASUN Conference wins, defeated two top-25 teams, five players were named to the ASUN All-Conference team, three players named to the All-Freshmen team and All-Academic team and senior Jesse Uttendorfer became the all-time hits leader with 231.

Junior SS Justin Etts went 4-for-5 with two RBI, including three singles and a double while Uttendorfer went 2-for-5 and Julio Marcano and Evan Pietronico each went 2-for-4.  Pietronico drove in a pair of runs while Julio Marcano drove in and scored one run for NJIT.

Sophomore RHP Tyler Stafflinger (4-5) was credited with the loss after pitching 1.2 innings, allowing five hits and four runs.  Senior Tommy Derer pitched 3.2 innings allowing four runs (two earned) while Johnny Malatesta pitched 1.2 innings letting up one hit and one run.

Lipscomb's Robbie Knox made his first start of the season, moving to 4-5, pitching 5.0 innings while Alex Dorso picked up the save, pitching the final 3.1 innings, after a weather delay of more than two hours, allowing just one hit and one Highlander run. 

NJIT opened the scoring in the top of the first as DH Evan Pietronico delivered an RBI single up the middle, scoring Jesse Uttendorfer, who avoided the tag with a great slide.

Back-to-back homeruns by Lipscomb in the bottom of the first gave the Bison a 3-1 lead.  Cade Sorrells two-run blast went down the right field line followed by Jeffrey Crisan's solo blast to center put the Bison ahead, 3-1.

NJIT tied up the game, 3-3, in the top of the second on a two RBI loop single into center field by SS Justin Etts, scoring Michael Anastasia and Tom Brady.

Lipscomb hit its third homerun of the game, a two-run shot off the scoreboard by Lee Solomon to give the Bison a 5-3 lead after two complete.

In the top of the sixth, NJIT cut the Lipscomb deficit to 5-4 on a bases-loaded walk to Evan Pietronico.

Lipscomb scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth on three hits and one Highlander error for an 8-4 lead.

The Bisons plated a single run in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly to left field by Josh Martinez and added a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly to center by Sorrells, extending the Lipscomb lead to 10-4.

NJIT's Julio Marcano, an ASUN All-Conference and All-Freshmen team honoree blasted a solo shot in the top of the ninth off of the left field wall for a 10-5 score.

Highlander Notes
--The 22 wins are the most since the 2015 season and fourth 20+ win season under sixth-year head coach Brian Guiliana
--The nine ASUN Conference wins are a program-best, since competing in the ASUN (first season 2016)
--Qualified for the program's first ASUN Conference Baseball Championships
--NJIT defeated two top 25 teams – then-ranked FGCU and Jacksonville
--Five players were named to the ASUN All-Conference team; Three players earned ASUN All-Academic honors and three players were tabbed to the ASUN All-Freshmen team
--Uttendorfer leaves his mark in the NJIT record books: all-time hits leader (231), career stolen bases record (54), 43 career doubles and 102 RBI ranks third all-time in the NJIT Division I era
--Etts, an ASUN second-team honoree, posted a .272 batting average with 55 hits, 18 RBI, 10 doubles, two triples and one homerun
--Freshman Julio Marcano, named to the ASUN All-Freshmen team and ASUN All-Second Team, batted .352, including 44 hits, 19 RBI, 14 doubles and two homeruns.  His .353 hitting percentage ranked third in the ASUN
--David Marcano, named to the ASUN All-Freshmen team, batted .297 with 49 hits, 16 RBI, 17 runs, four doubles, one triple and one homerun
--ASUN All-Freshmen team honoree catcher Paul Franzoni concluded his freshman campaign with a .271 batting average with 36 hits, 21 runs, 16 RBI, seven doubles and three homeruns
--Senior Johnny Malatesta paced the Highlanders with a 2.45 ERA, finishing 1-0 with six saves in 22 appearances, pitching 33 innings and striking out 27 batters
--Four Highlanders registered four wins on the year – Tyler Stafflinger, Brian Sondergard, Sean Lubreski and Tommy Derer.  
--Derer went 4-1 with two saves, combining for a 4.27 ERA in 52.2 innings of work
--Sondergard, an ASUN All-Academic team honoree, went 4-2 with a 3.03 ERA in his final season, appearing in 18 contests with four starts
--Stafflinger ranked second on the team with a 2.87 ERA, finishing 4-5 on the season, with 12 starts, including one complete game
--Lubreski, an ASUN All-Academic team honoree, started 14 games, posting a 3.86 ERA in 77 innings while striking out 39 batters; his 14 career wins ranks fourth all-time in the NJIT D1 era