Brookville, NY - The NJIT baseball came from behind for a true team victory on Saturday as several players played large roles in the 8-6 victory over LIU that clinched the series after Friday's series opening victory.

NJIT scored the first run of the game in the top of the first without even recording a hit. Brett Helmkamp was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Luke Longo and put the Highlanders ahead 1-0.

Aidan Kidd, NJIT's starting pitcher, took over from there and tossed three scoreless innings before the Sharks took the lead with two runs in the fourth and added another in the fifth to go ahead 3-1.

Kidd returned to the mound for the sixth and put up a zero, tying his career-high of 10 strikeouts for the second time this season and third time in his career. 

As Kidd exited after six innings, the Highlander offense woke up. Austin Francis led off the seventh inning with a pinch hit single and set the tone for the inning. After Luke Longo reached on an error, Ray Ortiz was hit by pitch to load the bases. This sent Brett Helmkamp to the plate with the bases loaded for the second time in the game. Helmkamp, a five-year member of the program who battled several injuries over the last three seasons, crushed a two-out single to centerfield to score Francis and Longo and tie the game. 

The game was only tied for a short period, however, as LIU opened up the home half of the seventh inning with back-to-back home runs to take a 5-3 lead. 

NJIT didn't waste any time, scoring four times in the eighth to go in front. The four runs came on four hits, starting with a Ty Sallie leadoff double. Sallie scored on Francis' second hit of the game and after a Longo double that moved Francis to third, Francis tied the game with saavy base running, beating a throw home and sliding under the catcher's tag. NJIT took the lead on a sacrifice fly from Ortiz and added another run on an RBI double off the bat of Kevin Putsky.

LIU got within one in the eighth, but NJIT closer Grant Vurpillat kept it there. Vurpillat entered the game with two on and no outs in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings to earn his fifth save of the season.

Vurpillat's job was made a little easier in the top of the ninth as the Highlanders added an insurance run to go in front by two. Ty Sallie was hit by a pitch and stole both second and third bases before scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jared Donnelly. 

Seven different Highlanders recorded at least one hit in the win, including Francis who entered the game in the seventh inning and went 2-for-3. Ortiz reached base three times, twice by drawing a walk and once via a hit by pitch. Longo, who scored five times in Friday's win, scored three times from his leadoff spot on Saturday.

The Highlanders will look for the sweep on Sunday when they return to LIU Stadium for game three of the series. First pitch is slated for 1pm.