HOOVER, AL—Sophomore co-captain
Paul Franzoni's two-run walk-off home run lifted the Highlanders past Eastern Michigan, 5-4, registering the teams first win of the 2019 campaign Friday afternoon at Hoover Metropolitan Complex.
Tied 3-3 going into the ninth inning, Eastern Michigan took a one-run lead, 4-3, after a two out, bases-loaded walk. A two-run home run off the bat of the Highlanders' Franzoni ended the game in the bottom of the inning.
The win for the Highlanders marked the first win for first-year head coach
Robbie McClellan and first win for the Highlanders on opening day since 2005.
Franzoni, a 2018 ASUN All-freshmen team selectee, tallied two RBI in four at-bats with one hit, his first home run of the season (fourth of his career) and two runs.
Veteran outfielder
Michael Anastasia finished 1-for-4 with two RBI, including a triple in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore 1B
Nick Hussey made his first collegiate start, combining for a 3-for-4 performance while SS
Justin Etts went 1-for-5 with one run and RBI. Etts got the scoring started for the Highlanders with a solo shot (fifth of his career) in the bottom of the fifth.
On the mound, junior RHP
Jared Kacso had a strong first start of the year, taking a no-decision after pitching seven innings, allowing three runs and fanning five Eagle batters. Freshman
Grant Vurpillat entered the game in the middle of the ninth and picked up his first collegiate victory.
The Eagles struck first in the game, as junior Nick Jones singled home senior John Rensel Jr. from third. Rensel reached base on a single, before advancing to second on a balk. A groundout to second base allowed Rensel to advance to third, before scoring on the Jones single. Eagles starting pitcher Jackson Shaver kept the Highlanders off the board the next two innings until the fifth.
In the fifth a leadoff home run by Etts, followed by two hit batters gave way to a triple from Anastasia, which put the Highlanders on top, 3-1, until the seventh inning.
A scoreless sixth made way for a two-run seventh for the Eagles, tying the game 3-3.
In a series of unfortunate events for NJIT, with two outs, Eastern Michigan's Cameron Cruz reached on an error by NJIT and the Highlanders again allowed an Eagles runner, Devin Hager, to reach on the ensuing sequence. Cruz reached third base on the error and came around to score on Shane Easter's RBI to bring the Eagles to within one, 3-2. The third Highlander error advanced Easter to third base, setting up Nate Jones run-scoring groundout to tie at 3-all.
In the top of the ninth, the Eagles loaded the bases via a single, two fielder's choice plays, and a walk, which resulted in an RBI walk to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead.
NJIT led off the bottom of the ninth with a lead-off fly out by Etts, however a one-out single by
Julio Marcano allowed NJIT to step up to the plate with the tying run on base. That's when Franzoni stepped up to the plate and blasted NJIT's second home run of the game, a two-run shot to deep left-center, ending the game 5-4 in walk-off fashion.
The two teams are set to return to action on Saturday at 12 p.m. CT, and 2 p.m. CT, respectively. Both games will be played at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex in Hoover, Alabama. The series finale will take place Sunday, when the Eagles and Highlanders play a 9:30 a.m. CT matinee.
