Huntsville, Texas – Down to its final two out, the NJIT baseball team rallied for five runs in the ninth inning in a 12-9 victory over Sam Houston on Saturday afternoon. A bases loaded walk to Ray Ortiz on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth tied the game, and a two-run double from Michael Doyle helped break the game open.

The Highlanders and Bearkats were originally scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, however inclement weather canceled the night cap.

How it Happened
The Highlanders jumped on Sam Houston early, putting up a crooked number in the first inning. Mason Wolf brought home the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly before an RBI double from Doyle made it 2-0. Ty Sallie jumpstarted his big day with an RBI single for NJIT's third run of the frame. The next inning, Cole Campbell reached on a fielder's choice which allowed a fourth NJIT run to score.

After Sam Houston responded with three runs in the second, the Highlanders would get a pair back in the third. Wolf opened the inning by reaching on an error, one of four on the day for the Bearkats. He would later come all the way around to score on a triple by Sallie which made it a 5-3 game. Jaden Caballero followed with an RBI groundout and the Highlanders were doubling up the Bearkats through three.

Caballero tacked another run on the board in the fifth with an RBI double, giving NJIT a 7-3 lead. Afterwards, Sam Houston's offense awoke. Two runs came across in the fifth to cut the deficit in half, and in the sixth Sam Houston would bring four runs across to claim a 9-7 advantage. NJIT went quietly in the seventh and eighth innings, but Eddie Werse did well on the mound to ensure Sam Houston's bats stayed silent in the later innings as well.

In the ninth, the Highlander bats responded. A Sallie double and Caballero walk presented early trouble for the Bearkats. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Nick Vega singled to score Sallie from third and make it a 9-8 game. After a single from Campbell loaded the bases, a foul out put NJIT one out away from defeat. Ortiz took a 3-2 pitch outside the zone for a walk, scoring Caballero from third with the tying run.

Sam Houston could have escape the inning one batter later, but a throwing error on a grounder from Wolf extended the inning and brought the go-ahead run across. Doyle then added insurance with a two-run double to extend the lead to three. Werse finished the job in the bottom of the ninth, working around a leadoff single to pick up his first career win.

Up Next
NJIT and Sam Houston conclude their series tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.