WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team ran its season-opening win streak to four games with a seven-inning doubleheader sweep of visiting Utica (0-2) March 10 at Jeff Albies Field.  The Pioneers fought back from a 6-1 deficit for a 10-9 opening victory, and finished off the day with a 5-2 win.

GAME ONE
Three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning allowed WP to rally for a 10-9 victory during the opening contest of the twin bill.

Trailing 9-7 heading into their second-to-last at-bat, the Pioneers got a leadoff single from senior shortstop Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst), followed by a pinch-hit walk by junior Scott Hansen (Saddle Brook, N.J./Don Bosco Prep). A bunt by junior Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) rolled between the Utica pitcher and first baseman, a sacrifice attempt that resulted in an infield single and loaded the bases.  Sophomore A.J. Flores' (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) grounder to second was the first out of the inning but was enough to plate Dorio.  Flores later stole second, and moved up to third on senior Jack Montanile's (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) sacrifice fly that scored Hansen and knotted the score at 9-9.  Utica elected to intentionally walk senior Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) to give WP runners at the corners with two outs, but freshman Mike Arnold (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) came through with a RBI-single through the left side, pushing across Flores with the go-ahead run.

Junior J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley), who entered the game with two outs in the top of the sixth, struck out the side in the top of the seventh to preserve the one-run victory.

Three errors allowed Utica to score a pair of runs in the top of the second, but William Paterson got one of those runs back during the home half of the frame thanks to a Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) triple and a James Lauer (Hamilton, N.J./Pennington Prep) sac fly.

Nick Dunbar tripled in two runners and crossed the plate himself on an Alec Choleva sacrifice fly, handing Utica a 5-1 advantage in the middle of the third, and a double steal made it 6-1 in the fourth.

WP fought back for three fourth-inning runs.  Montanile singled, and Derner's single to third was thrown away, allowing Montanile to score and sending Derner to second base.  After Derner was out on a fielder's choice at third, Ptaszynski's single and advance on the throw to third handed the Pioneers two runners in scoring position with one out.  Lauer's sacrifice fly plated Arnold, and Dorio's RBI-double drove in pinch runner Rob Pasternak (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield).

Choleva doubled in Dunbar, who was hit by a pitch, for a 7-4 Utica advantage during the top of the fifth.  The Pioneers answered with three more runs in the bottom of the inning.  Flores and Gibbons drew back-to-back one-out walks, Montanile singled in one run and Derner cleared the bases with a double down the right-field line, tying the score at 7-7.

Utica seized the lead with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the top of the sixth before WP crossed the plate three times for the third straight inning.

Gibbons finished 3-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.  Montanile was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.  Derner was 2-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs, Ptaszynski and Dorio each contributed a pair of hits and Lauer produced two sac flies.

Junior James Young (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) started on the mound and allowed six runs (four earned) in 3.1 innings.  Freshman Tom Gaccione (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) gave up three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings, and Moran (1-0) struck out three and walked two in 1.1 innings.

Dunbar led Utica at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with a triple, four RBI and two runs scored.  Vincent Burillo took the loss in relief (0-1), surrendering three runs and three hits in 1.2 innings.