Highlanders Break out Bats in Win at Villanova, 13-3
Four Highlanders crushed home runs and MT Morrissey punched out a career-high eight batters as NJIT flexed its muscles in a 13-3 victory on Saturday afternoon over Villanova.
How it Happened
The Highlanders got off on the right foot once again, scoring in the first inning for the 11th time in 17 games this season. Ty Sallie got the scoring started with a one-out solo home run to left field for his second round-tripped of the year. Back-to-back singles from Ray Ortiz and Andrew Eppinger and a walk to Austin Francis loaded the bases for Mason Wolf. The catcher launched a grand slam over the wall in left field to give NJIT a 5-0 jumpstart.
The Highlanders were far from finished. In the third, Francis got his hands inside a pitch and pulled it fair down the left field line for his first homer of the season and third of his career.
Villanova chipped away in the fourth, scoring three times to close the gap a bit. In the fifth, the bottom of the NJIT order jumped in on the action. With two outs and the bases loaded, Jack Stead pulled a single through the left side to score a pair and make it a 8-3 game. Next, number nine hitter Andrew Hart roped a two-run double down the left field line to make it a 10-3 NJIT lead.
Francis would tack another run on the board in the sixth with an RBI single to center. Later in the seventh inning, Ortiz would club his fifth home run of the season with a two-run shot which gave the Highlanders a 13-3 advantage.