TROY, NY - The NJIT baseball team recorded a season-high 20 hits as it slugged past host UAlbany 15-5 on Thursday at Joe Bruno Stadium.
NJIT scored early and often, plating two runs in each of the first three innings, to improve to 4-0 this season vs. the Great Danes as the Highlanders swept a three-game series earlier this season in New Jersey.
The Highlanders led 6-0 heading into the bottom of the third, but UAlbany was able to get back into the game as it plated four runs in the inning to make it a two-run game.
NJIT answered with a run in the fourth to go ahead by three, and added one more in the sixth and two in the seventh to make the lead 10-4 heading into the home half of the seventh inning.
The Great Danes were able to get one run back in the seventh, but that was it as the Highlanders scored five more runs in the eighth to break the game open and kept UAlbany off the scoreboard in the final two innings.
All nine Highlanders that started the game recorded at least one hit, with seven producing multi-hit games.
Cole Fleming paced the offense with four hits, while
Ty Sallie and
Andrew Elcock each had three-hit games.
Kevin Putsky hit a two-run home run in the seventh, and
Ray Ortiz followed it up with a grand slam, his 12th home run of the season, in the eighth. Ortiz also doubled in the win, as did Sallie and
Michael Doyle.
Ryan Fischer earned his fourth victory of the season on the mound, tossing five innings and striking out four. Four of Fischer's five innings pitched were shutout innings.
Grant Vurpillat relieved Fischer and pitched three innings, striking out a pair and allowing just one run.
Sam Beck came on to pitch the ninth inning and worked around a pair of walks for a scoreless frame.
NJIT will look to keep the hot bats going on Friday when it returns to the diamond for game two of the series against UAlbany. First pitch is scheduled for 2pm at Varsity Field on the Great Danes' campus.
