VESTAL, NY - NJIT baseball captain broke a 6-6 tie with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth and the Highlanders pushed across another run in the inning en route to an 8-6 victory over UMass Lowell in America East Conference Tournament action at the Bearcats Baseball Complex.

After the two-run eighth, Aaron Park pitched a scoreless ninth to move the third-seeded Highlanders forward in the tournament and end the fourth-seeded River Hawks season. 

UML was the first team to score in Friday morning's elimination game, plating a run in the top of the first inning. NJIT's Ray Ortiz tied the game an inning later with his 11th home run of the season. 

NJIT starter Brandon Peterson settled in from there and didn't allow another run until the River Hawks scored twice with two outs in the fifth to go ahead 3-1.

The Highlanders immediately answered, however, putting together a five-run fifth inning highlighted by AJ Soldra's second-career home run, a three-run shot over the right field wall. 

UML scored once in the seventh and twice in the eighth to tie the game and set up the heroics for Longo, who blasted the first pitch he saw well over the left field wall. The home run was his 11th of the season and the 39th of his career, which extends his program record. 

NJIT added an insurance run later in the eighth when Cade Ladehoff grounded out with the bases loaded and scored Cole Campbell, who reached on a single, his third hit of the day. 

Ladehoff doubled earlier in the game for his 77th hit of the season, which ties David Marcano '21, '22 for the single-season hits record, a record Marcano set in 2022. 

Peterson tossed five innings and struck out five, while walking just one. Park earned the win with 1.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen. 

The Highlanders will look to starve off elimination for the third time this weekend when they play again Friday evening back at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal. NJIT will take on the loser of this afternoon's winner's bracket final between #1 Bryant and #2 UMBC. The winner of Friday night's game will advance to the tournament championship.