VESTAL, NY - The NJIT baseball team defeated host Binghamton 4-1 on Saturday evening to earn a doubleheader split.

Fifth-year senior Jake Rappaport started on the mound for the Highlanders and delivered arguably the best start of his career, tossing seven innings and allowing just one run.

The Highlanders got on the scoreboard in the second inning when Kevin Putsky doubled to score Paul Franzoni. Binghamton tied it in the home half of the inning, but that would be the Bearcats only run of the game as Rappaport took over from there.

David Marcano's two-run single in the fourth put the Highlanders ahead for good and Putsky once again delivered with an RBI-single in the eighth to make it 4-1.

Grant Vurpillat pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.

Putsky was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Albert Choi paced the NJIT offense with three hits in the victory. 

The Highlanders and Bearcats will wrap up the series with a 1pm rubber match on Sunday.