MESA, ARIZ. – Senior right fielder Rob Somers (West Long Branch, N.J./Shore Regional) went 2-for-2 and drove in a pair of runs as the William Paterson baseball team (8-0) rallied from an early deficit to keep its record unblemished with a 6-2 victory against Wesleyan (3-5) March 19 at the Greater Phoenix Invitational.
Wesleyan staked itself to a 2-0 first-inning lead, taking advantage of an error, a double and a pair of RBI-singles.
Three consecutive singles loaded the bases for Somers in bottom of the second, and his sacrifice fly plated freshman third baseman Mike Arnold (Dumont, N.J./Dumont). WP evened the score in the third thanks to senior Jack Montanile's (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) double and classmate Adam Derner's (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) run-scoring base hit to left field.
William Paterson seized control with two scores in the fourth. Arnold reached on a leadoff error, stole second and moved to third via a James Lauer (Hamilton, N.J./Pennington Prep) single up the middle. Lauer later stole second, and when Somers delivered a base hit, both runners were able to scamper home on the play.
Derner was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the eighth inning, and was lifted for pinch runner A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange). Arnold walked, and after a popup and strikeout, Somers was issued a walk to load the bases. Senior shortstop Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) singled in Flores, and a bases-loaded walk by junior outfielder Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) forced across Arnold for the final run of the game.
Montanile and Lauer were both 2-for-4 with a run scored. Sophomore lefty starter Josh Jensen (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) improved to 2-0, scattering seven hits over 5.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) while walking one hitter and striking out seven. Junior J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) picked up his third save with 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, registering three strikeouts.
William Paterson will face Johns Hopkins at 10:00 a.m. MT and Kansas Wesleyan at 2:00 p.m. MT on Tuesday, March 20.