AUBURNDALE, FLA. – The William Paterson baseball team (9-2) finished its Spring Break trip with a 12-2, seven-inning victory against Amherst (5-5) March 21 at the Central Florida Invitational. Sophomore center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) finished 3-for-5 with a triple, two steals, four RBI and two runs scored. Classmate Mike Sasso (West Orange, N.J./Montclair Kimberley) improved to 3-0 with five innings of one-run ball on the mound.
The Pioneers plated a pair of runs during the top half of the first inning. Junior left fielder Tyler Garguilo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) singled to right and stole second, followed by walks issued to freshman first baseman Anthony Hoagland (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) and graduate student right fielder AJ Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange). Junior third baseman K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) then sent a base hit into right field for a pair of RBI.
A double, single and sacrifice fly by the Jeffs cut the lead in half during the bottom of the first, but WP responded with two more scores during their next at-bat. Junior second baseman Justin Ferreira (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) led off with a double down the left-field line and stole third before an error allowed Abate to reach safely and plate Ferreira. An Abate steal and another error, plus a walk, loaded the bases, and junior designated hitter Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) lifted a sac fly to right for a 4-1 score.
Ferreira was issued a two-out base on balls, stole second and trotted home when Abate tripled to left for a 5-1 margin by the middle of third inning.
Sophomore catcher Brady Pevny (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) led off the fifth with a base hit and junior shortstop Victor Sanchez (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) added an infield single before Ferreira sacrificed the runners up a base. Abate's two-run single down the right-field line handed WP a 7-1 lead.
The Pioneers used a Kenny leadoff double and an error to make it an 8-1 score in the sixth, but Amherst plated a run with two singles, a hit by pitch and an error in the bottom half of the same inning.
WP ended the game early, invoking the 10-run rule by tacking on four scores during the seventh inning. Abate had a one-out single and stole second before the Jeffs got the second out via a batter interference call. Hoagland's base hit put runners on the corners for Kenny, who pushed across Abate with an RBI-single to center field. Flores contributed an infield single, and Abel cleared the bases with a triple to right.
Abel went 2-for-4 with a triple and five RBI, while Kenny was 2-for-4 and added a double, two RBI and pair of runs scored. Garguilo finished 2-for-5 while stealing four bases.
Sasso allowed three hits and one run in 5.0 innings, striking out five and walking four. Freshman Bryan Kopko (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) tossed the final 2.0 innings and gave up one unearned run on two hits with two strikeouts.
Center fielder Mike Odenwaelder was 2-for-4 for Amherst. Starter Drew Fischer (0-2) surrendered four hits and five runs (four earned) over 4.0 innings, striking out eight and walking five.
William Paterson will host Staten Island Tuesday, March 24, at 3:30 p.m.
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