AUBURNDALE, FLA. – The William Paterson baseball team (3-2) suffered a 13-2 loss against No. 5 Wisconsin-Stevens Point (5-1) March 17 at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
The Pointers used an error, double and two-run single to take a 2-0 first-inning lead, and an error, sacrifice and run-scoring base hit to make it 3-0 after two. Back-to-back doubles extended Wisconsin-Stevens Point's edge to 4-0 during the third inning.
Senior first baseman AJ Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) started the top of the fourth with a double to left center and later scored via an RBI-single from sophomore left fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional).
The Pointers put together a pair of runs during the home half of the fourth, but WP got one back in the fifth. Freshman second baseman Alex Bogart (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) was hit by a one-out pitch, advanced to second thanks to sophomore right fielder Tyler Garguilo's (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) sacrifice and scored when senior shortstop Rob Pasternak (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) singled to center.
Wisconsin-Stevens Point made it an 8-2 game with a two-run sixth inning, and took advantage of five hits and a pair of errors to push across five more runs during the home half of the eighth.
Pasternak, Flores, Kenny, sophomore third baseman K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) and sophomore pinch hitter Mike Sasso (West Orange, N.J./Montclair Kimberley) accounted for the Pioneers' five hits.
Junior starter Joe Moran (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) took the loss (0-1), allowing nine hits and eight runs (three earned) while striking out five and walking two in 5.2 innings. Junior Tom Gaccione (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) tossed 1.1 scoreless innings, and junior Ryan Monaghan (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) surrendered five runs, four of them unearned, and five hits in 1.0 inning of action.
Sophomore first baseman Brandon Kranz was 4-for-4 with four RBI for the Pointers. Starter Luke Watson received the victory (1-0), giving up two runs on three hits over 6.0 innings.
William Paterson will face Endicott Tuesday, March 18, at 6:00 p.m.
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