BRONX, NY - The NJIT baseball team was defeated 5-3 by host Fordham on Saturday in the first of three games between the teams this weekend taking place at Houlihan Park on the Rams' New York City campus.

Saturday's game was the season opener for the Rams, while NJIT fell to 1-3 on the young season.

The Rams scored two runs in the bottom of the first and added another in the second to take an early 3-0 advantage and led for the duration of the contest.

NJIT was able to get within one run on two different occasions, cutting the score to 3-2, and 4-3, before Fordham added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to make the final score 5-3.

The Highlanders were led offensively by Albert Choi, Nick Hussey, and Daniel Helfgott, who each recorded a pair of hits on Saturday. Each player also knocked in a run for NJIT, as well.

Ryan Fischer started on the mound for the Highlanders and only allowed two earned runs over five innings of work. The sophomore was relieved by Jake Rappaport, who allowed just one run in three innings.

Fischer and Rappaort combined to allow just six hits, as the Highlanders out-hit the Rams 9-6 in the nine-inning contest. NJIT has out out-hit its opponent in three of four games so far this season.

The teams will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday with a doubleheader back in the Bronx. First pitch of game one (nine innings) is slated for 12pm, while game two (seven innings) will begin 30 minutes after the opener wraps up.