DAVIDSON, NC - The NJIT baseball team put up a valiant effort against Atlantic 10 Conference preseason favorite Davidson on Friday evening at Wilson Field, but its late rally came up just short and the Highlanders fell 4-3.

Davidson, which won a program-best 43 games last season, did most of its damage in the first inning scoring three runs on a pair of walks that scored on a three-run home run. 

The Highlanders offense woke up in the fourth inning scoring a pair of runs as Ray Ortiz doubled home Luke Longo and Brett Helmkamp singled to score Ortiz. 

After the Wildcats added another run an inning later, Kevin Putsky homered to make the score 4-3, but the seniors home run was the final run of the game.

NJIT's Liam Reiner pitched three near-perfect innings in his Highlanders debut. The graduate transfer from Division III St. Lawrence allowed just one base runner over the three innings and Grant Vurpillat pitched a scoreless eighth to keep NJIT within a run.

After Ortiz and Dillon Can singled to lead off the top of the ninth, Helmkamp bunted them over to give the Highlanders a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. Andrew Elcock was intentionally walked to load the bases and the Wildcats were able to get a 6-4-3 double play to end the Highlanders rally and give Davidson the Opening Day victory.

Ryan Fischer started on the mound for NJIT and settled in nicely after a rocky first inning. The veteran right-hander sent down nine-straight Wildcats at one point and finished his first outing of the season with five strikeouts in four innings.

Offensively, Ortiz and Longo led the way with a pair of hits. Elcock also reached base twice, singling in addition to the ninth inning intentional walk. Can's ninth-inning hit was the first of his career.

Can, a freshman was the first NJIT rookie to start on Opening Day since current teammates Albert Choi and Putsky opened the 2020 season in the starting lineup. Helmkamp started the season opener for the third time in his career, but the first since 2020. 

Fischer, Reiner, and Vurpillat combined to give up just three hits, the least the Highlanders allowed in a game since the pitching staff gave up three in three-straight games to VIllanova and Hartford twice last March. Unfortunately, all three hits on Friday were extra base hits, including a pair of home runs. 

NJIT and Davidson will square off two more times this weekend, meeting back up on Wilson Field Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 1pm.