PISCATAWAY, N.J.- Although tallying 18 hits, the Owls scored just six runs in the 7-6 setback at NJIT. 
 
Kennesaw State left 17 runners on base in the contest, which was a season-high.
 
It took no time for the Owls' bats to make an early impact in this one as Tyler Simon smoked a triple to right field to lead off the game for KSU. Just one pitch later, Jake Franklin mashed a two-run home run over the right field wall to give KSU the 2-0 lead.
 
Rothwell fanned the first batter he saw in the first inning and followed it with two quick outs. Jaylen Smith and Daniel Seres led off the second inning with back-to-back singles, but were stranded on the base paths after NJIT turned a double play.
 
The Highlanders took advantage of a pair of Kennesaw State errors in the second inning to tie up the game at two runs a piece heading into the third frame.
 
NJIT manufactured a three-run inning in the third frame after an RBI single and an RBI double to give the Highlanders the 5-2 lead after three innings.
 
In the top of the fifth, Terence Norman led off with a single followed by a walk drawn by Garrett Hodges. Justin Russell followed with a ground-rule double that scored Norman. David Chabut hit a sacrifice fly to score Hodges and pull the Owls within one, but the scoring was halted there.
 
NJIT plated another run in the fifth inning to push the lead back to two runs, 6-4.
 
After nothing for either side in the sixth inning, the Owls got two runners on base in the seventh behind singles from Chabut and Jaylen Smith. Both runners were stranded in the inning, marking the 11^thand 12 runners left on base for the Owls through seven innings. 
 
The Owls tied up the game in the eighth inning after a sacrifice fly from A.J. Willoughby and a hit by pitch. With the bases loaded, Jaylen Smith was hit in the foot to even the score at six runs a piece. Three more runners were stranded in the eighth.
 
The Highlanders retook the lead in the bottom of the inning with an RBI double to left field after a leadoff single.
 
Simon and Franklin led off the ninth inning with two singles, but could not touch the plate as the Owls' rally fell short.
 
Rothwell started the game for the Owls and tossed 5.0 innings, yielding four runs on six hits. He punched out four. Jared Rine finished the game for the Owls on the mound, throwing the last three. 
 
With the doubleheader sweep on Saturday, the Owls win the series. KSU does not participate in a midweek matchup this week and will be back on the diamond on Friday for a three-game set with Liberty.