RICHMOND, VA - The NJIT baseball team was defeated 12-4 by host VCU on Saturday afternoon in the second game of a three-game series being played this weekend at The Diamond. 

VCU broke open a 4-4 tie with seven runs in the bottom of the seventh and held on to clinch the series after also winning Friday's opener 5-4 in 10 innings.

NJIT took an early 2-0 lead on double from Cole Fleming which scored Kevin Putsky and Ray Ortiz in the first inning.

The score remained 2-0 until the Highlanders added another run in the fifth inning when Putsky knocked in Austin Francis. 

VCU answered, however, with four runs in the home half of the fourth to go ahead 4-3. 

It remained a one-run game until the seventh when Nick Vega's first-career hit, a solo home run over the left field wall made the score 4-4. Vega is the ninth different Highlander to hit a home run through 15 games this season. 

The Rams once again answered, this time with the aforementioned seven-run seventh to take a comfortable lead and added one more run on a solo home run in the eighth. 

Francis finished with two hits, his third multi-hit game of the season, to lead the NJIT offense. 

The Highlanders and Rams will conclude their three-game series on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 12pm back at The Diamond.