Justin Etts Drives Home Game-Winning Run in NJIT's 7-6 Win Over Kennesaw State

Senior shortstop Justin Etts drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth in NJIT's 7-6 ASUN Conference victory over visiting Kennesaw State Sunday afternoon at Bainton Field on the campus of Rutgers University.

NJIT snaps a five-game skid, improving to 13-23-1 overall, 5-13 in the ASUN while Kennesaw State moves to 22-24 overall, 7-8 in the ASUN.

Tied at 6-all heading into the bottom of the eighth, sophomore first baseman Nick Hussey started the Highlander rally with an infield single. NJIT's Etts doubled down the left field line, his fourth of the season, sending home the game-winning run, giving the Highlanders a 7-6 victory.

Freshman Darwin Rodas (1-0), who retired the final out in the top of the eighth, closed the door in the top of the ninth with runners on the corners and two outs, striking out Kennesaw State's designated hitter, recording his first collegiate win.  Rodas pitched 1.1 innings, allowing no runs on two hits.

Starting right-handed pitcher Sean Lubreski took a no-decision, pitching 7.0 innings, facing 37 batters, allowing four runs and fanning two Owl batters.

Etts finished 1-for-4 with two runs batted in while catcher Paul Franzoni went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and one run, including his eighth double of the season. Rightfielder Matthew Cocciadiferro and centerfielder Julio Marcano each went 2-for-4 in the win with one RBI.

Eight of the nine Highlander batters registered a hit as NJIT produced 11 hits in the game.

Kennesaw State got off to a hot start in the top of the first with a pair of runs after a leadoff triple from Tyler Simon followed by a two-run blast to right field by Jake Franklin for a 2-0 Owl lead.

NJIT scored its first run in the bottom of the second with runners on the corners, as Franzoni stole second and Cocciadiferro scored on a throwing error by the Owl catcher. Etts drove in the second run of the inning with a grounder to second for a 2-2 score.

The Highlanders took its first lead of the game, 3-2, in the bottom of the third with a two-out single to center by Julio Marcano, scoring twin brother David Marcano, who reached base on a hit-by-pitch, stole second, moved over to third on a grounder to short and scored on the single.  NJIT added a pair of runs on a two-out double to left field by Franzoni, taking a 5-2 lead.

Kennesaw State plated two runs in the top of the fifth on a ground-rule double to center field by designated hitter Justin Russell and sacrifice fly to right field by David Chabut, slimming the Highlander lead to 5-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, Cocciadiferro drove in a run with a two-out RBI single to left field, putting the Highlanders ahead, 6-4, scoring David Marcano, who bunted a single down the third base line to lead-off the inning.

Kennesaw State tied the game at 6-all with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth.

NJIT will return to action with a mid-week game at Fairfield on April 30. First pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.