UNION, NJ - The NJIT baseball team received tremendous starting pitching performances from
Grant Vurpillat and
Jared Kacso in an America East Conference doubleheader vs. Albany on Sunday, but were unable to take advantage as the Great Danes took both ends of the twinbill.
Albany (5-6, 3-1 America East) took the first game, a seven-inning contest, 4-2, before winning game two 5-4 in 10 innings to cinch the sweep and the four-game weekend series after the teams split Saturday's doubleheader. NJIT is now 2-8 on the season and 1-3 in AE action.
Game One
Vurpillat started the opener on the mound for NJIT and the junior turned in one of the best performances of his career, striking out a career-best eight in 5.2 innings of work.
The California native allowed one run in the top of the first and the score remained 1-0 until the Highlanders scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from
Daniel Helfgott and a sacrifice fly off the bat of
John Shukur.
Albany hit a home run to tie the game in the top of the sixth, however, and added two more runs in the seventh en route to the 4-2 victory.
Game Two
Kacso started game two and didn't disappoint, pitching into the eighth inning after shutting the Great Danes out through seven.
The Highlanders led 3-0 in the eight, with the runs coming from a solo home run by
Paul Franzoni and a two-out, two-RBI, clutch single from
Luke Longo.
Albany then plated four runs in the top of the eighth to go ahead 4-3, but the Highlanders didn't go down without a fight.
Trailing by one and down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth,
Julio Marcano blasted a pitch over the left field fence to tie the game and force extra innings.
The Great Danes scored a run in the top of the 10th and NJIT was unable to duplicate its magic from the ninth inning as Albany held on to win the game and clinch the series.
NJIT was led offensively by Longo, Marcano, and
Andrew Elcock, who each tallied a pair of hits.
Up Next
NJIT will return to action next weekend with another four-game America East series. The Highlanders will travel to Hartford for a pair of games on Saturday and two more on Sunday.
