UNION, NJ - The NJIT baseball team played the first two America East games in program history on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with visiting Albany at Jim Hynes Stadium in Union.
Albany (3-6, 1-1 AE) took the seven-inning opener 3-2, while the Highlanders (2-6, 1-1 AE) bounced back to win game two 5-3.
Game One
NJIT's
Tyler Stafflinger and Albany's Ray Weber each threw complete games, but it was Weber who came away with the victory as the Great Danes held off the Highlanders 3-2.
Albany plated the first run of the game in the top of the second, but NJIT responded immediately as
Nick Hussey scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Daniel Helfgott in the home half of the inning.
The game remained 1-1 until the sixth, when the Great Danes scored a pair of unearned runs and took a 3-1 advantage. Hussey homered in the bottom of the seventh to make it 3-2, but NJIT was unable to tie the game as Weber was magnificent down the stretch.Â
Stafflinger struck out five and allowed just one earned run, while
Paul Franzoni and
Luke Longo each joined Hussey with a hit to pace the NJIT offense.
Game Two
Julio Marcano's first inning home run put the Highlanders on the board first, but Albany was able to knot the score at 1-1 in the second inning and eventually took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Longo hit a two-run home run in the home half of the inning to put the Highlanders in front 3-2.
Albany tied the game once more, this time on a ground-rule double to right field in the seventh inning.Â
In the bottom of the seventh, Hussey knocked a two-out pitch to left field to score Marcano and
Albert Choi, and give the Highlanders a 5-3 lead, which they would hold on to for their historic America East victory.
Ryan Fischer started on the mound for NJIT and was once again effective, allowing two earned runs in six innings of work. Fischer was relieved by freshman
Croix Jenkins, who struck out three in a pair of innings on the mound, before veteran reliever
Jake Rappaport came in to close the door in the ninth. After the leadoff batter reached via and error, Rappaport sent the next three hitters down in order to earn his first save of the season.
Marcano and Franzoni each had two-hit games for the Highlanders, while Longo and Hussey each knocked in a pair of runs.
Up Next
The Highlanders and Great Danes will conclude their four-game America East series on Sunday with another doubleheader at Jim Hynes Stadium in Union. First pitch of game one is slated for 11am.
