UPDATED: Saturday, March 12, 1pm
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA - The NJIT baseball team traveled to Villanova on Friday and split a doubleheader, falling 6-5 in the seven inning opener, before taking game two 5-2.
Game two was called after eight innings due to darkness and the series finale scheduled for Sunday has been canceled due to inclement weather.
Game One Recap
Villanova scored the first four runs of the scheduled seven-inning game, plating a run in the first and second innings and two more in the third.
The NJIT bats came alive in the sixth inning as the Highlanders scored four runs to tie the game.
Paul Franzoni and
Luke Longo each recorded RBIs to make the score 4-2, before a two-run pinch-hit double from
Isiah Daubon tied the game later in the inning.
Jake Rappaport shut the Wildcats down in the home half of the sixth inning and NJIT was able to take a 5-4 lead courtesy of an RBI single from
Andrew Elcock in the top of the seventh.
Villanova made the most of its last at-bat, however, as the hosts scored two times in the bottom of the seventh for the walk-off win.
David Marcano paced the Highlanders' offense in game one, going 3-for-4 at the plate and scoring a pair of runs.
Game Two Recap
Villanova once again got on the scoreboard first, scoring a run in the first inning without getting a hit.
The Highlanders tied the game in the second inning on an RBI single from
Jared Donnelly and took a lead in the fourth with three more runs, all coming home on a bases clearing double from Donnely.
David Marcano crushed his first home run of the season in the sixth to add an insurance run, but the Wildcats were able to get a run back in the home half of the sixth, once again scoring without needing a hit.
Donnelly and
Paul Franzoni each have three hits heading into the ninth inning.
Five different Highlanders have pitched through eight innings, highlighted by three shutout innings of the bullpen from
Evan Gegeckas. Gegeckas allowed just one base runner and struck out four.
Aaron Park was also impressive out of the bullpen, getting a flyout on his first pitch to get NJIT out of a bases loaded jam, while pitching 2.1 scoreless innings.
Gegeckas earned his first-career victory on the mound, while Park picked up his first-career save.
Up Next:
With Sunday's game three canceled, the Highlanders will now return to action next weekend when they open up America East conference play with a three-game series against Hartford at Kean University in Union, NJ. Friday's series opener is slated for 7pm.
