FLORENCE, AL—North Alabama won the final game of the ASUN Conference series against NJIT with an 8-3 victory Sunday afternoon at Mike D. Lane Field.
North Alabama's (7-13 ASUN, 14-33 overall) Adam Mancour picked up the win, moving to 2-3 on the season, pitching six innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while fanning five Highlander batters.
NJIT's (6-15 ASUN, 15-25-1 overall) starting pitcher RHP
Sean Lubreski (4-7) took the loss, pitching 6.0 innings, letting up six runs on nine hits while striking out four Lion batters. Junior LHP
Jake Rappaport pitched the final two innings, giving up two runs and two hits while walking three Lion batters.
Sophomore C
Paul Franzoni finished 2-for-4 with one RBI while DH
David Marcano went 1-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored, including his fourth home run of the season in the top of the first.
Franzoni finished the three-game series, 5-for-12 with seven RBI, three runs, two doubles and two home runs. With six home runs on the season, Franzoni has now hit 5-of-his-6 home runs in the state of Alabama (three home runs vs. Eastern Michigan in Hoover, AL to open the 2019 season).
NJIT's
David Marcano led off the game with a solo homer to left field on the second pitch of the game as part of a two-run first inning for the Highlanders for a 2-0 lead.
North Alabama got on the board in the bottom of the first after a Lion walk, a pair of two stolen bases and a Highlander throwing error.
The Lions rallied in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of two-out, two RBI doubles, taking its first lead of the game, 4-2.
North Alabama tacks on a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, extending its lead to 6-2.
Sophomore C
Paul Franzoni plated a run in the top of the eighth for NJIT on a double to the left field wall, scoring SS
Justin Etts, who led off the inning with a walk and stole second, scoring on Franzoni's double.
North Alabama added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth, pushing the Lions lead to 8-3.
NJIT will conclude its non-conference portion of its schedule with a mid-week game on Tuesday at Saint Peter's. First pitch is set for 3pm in Jersey City. In the first meeting on April 10, NJIT recorded a 6-2 victory.