Orono, Maine. – The NJIT baseball team dropped the rubber match of its three-game series at Maine, 7-5, on Saturday night at Mahaney Diamond.

How it Happened
For the second straight game, the Highlanders got off to a lead in the top of the first inning. After a one-out walk to Ray Ortiz, he would come all the way around to score on an RBI double to center from Mason Wolf. NJIT's lead was short lived, however, as Maine posted two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 advantage.

NJIT would get a run right back in the top of the second, as Ortiz collected a two-out RBI with a single to left field. The Black Bears would answer back again with a solo home run in the bottom of the second to regain the lead, but the Highlanders would respond right back again. In the top of the third, Ty Sallie walked to open the inning and advanced to third on a double from Michael Doyle. A few pitches later, a wild pitch would allow Sallie to score from third with the tying run.

The teams stayed deadlocked until the bottom of the fourth, when Maine pushed across a pair of runs to take a 5-3 edge. Wolf would get one of those runs back in the top of the fifth, as he crushed his third home run of the year over the wall in center to pull NJIT back within one. However, as was the case all night, Maine had an answer for each Highlander tally, as an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth pushed the Black Bear lead back to two.

Cole Campbell would strike in the top of the sixth to keep the Highlanders close. After Jack Stead opened the inning with a double, back-to-back strikeouts left the frame up to Campbell with two outs. The redshirt sophomore poked an RBI single to right field, scoring Stead from second to make it a one-run game again. However, that was as close as NJIT would get, as the Maine bullpen held strong and the offense added an insurance tally in the eighth to take the series finale.

Up Next
NJIT returns to Yogi Berra Stadium on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. when it takes on FDU.