WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (20-14, 6-12 NJAC) earned a Senior Day split against visiting New Jersey City (14-20, 6-12 NJAC) April 25, winning the opener, 15-12, before losing the season finale, 9-7.
Game One
After a back-and-forth game during the early innings, WP seized control with a six-run fourth and eventually came away with a 15-12 win.
A leadoff walk, a fielder's choice and a stolen base resulted in sophomore first baseman Zach Buchholz standing on second during the top of the second inning. Sophomore designated hitter Joe Coutinho hit an RBI-double down the left-field line, stole third and crossed the plate on a Chris Stevenson groundout for a 2-0 Gothic Knight lead.
The Pioneers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the same frame. Junior right fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) sent a leadoff single through the left side, followed by a fielder's choice and stolen base for junior shortstop Victor Sanchez (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland). Sophomore designated hitter Mike Rowe (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) hit a grounder back to the pitcher, who found Sanchez too far off second base, but Sanchez was able to get safely to third, leaving runners on the corners with one out. Rowe stole second, and after a strikeout, freshman catcher Jorge Solodkin (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) sent a single to center and tied the score at 2-2.
A triple to right center by graduate student first baseman AJ Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) and a Kenny run-scoring single up the middle handed WP a 3-2 advantage in the third.
NJCU regained the lead in the top of the fourth inning. A base hit and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out, and freshman center fielder Dmitri Rueger plated a pair of runs with his single to left field. A Michael Martucci base hit and error allowed two more runners to touch home, and the Gothic Knights owned a 6-3 advantage.
William Paterson responded with a six-run bottom half of the fourth. Leadoff hitter Rowe was hit by a pitch and scored when freshman second baseman Rob Eggert (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) tripled to center field. After a groundout, sophomore center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) sent an RBI-double down the left-field line, and a wild pitch and a single through the left side by junior left fielder Tyler Garguilo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) made it a 9-6 edge.
A Martucci walk, stolen base and an error allowed New Jersey City to push across a single score in the top of the sixth.
The Pioneers plated five runs during the bottom of the seventh inning. Eggert doubled to right and advanced to third thanks to a balk, then trotted home when Solodkin dropped a base hit into center. Abate tripled in Solodkin, then crossed the plate via a Garguilo single to left. An Abel base hit, a fielder's choice and an error were enough for Garguilo to touch home, Kenny was hit by a pitch, and a wild pitch and a Sanchez groundout drove in Flores and made it a 14-7 game.
Martucci walked and senior third baseman Alex Weinstein tripled to right center to add one run for the Gothic Knights in the top of the eighth, but base hits by Solodkin, Abate and junior third baseman K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) resulted in a WP run during the bottom half of the same frame.
NJCU finished the scoring with a four-run ninth. Buchholz hit a leadoff single, and a wild pitch and error led to an RBI-double by freshman pinch hitter Adam Feldman. Back-to-back base hits by Rueger and junior catcher Andrew Niech drove in two more scores, and after a walk, a bases-loaded hit by pitch forced across the final run.
Kenny went 4-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored, while Solodkin finished 3-for-5 and posted three RBI and a pair of runs scored.
Freshman Corey Martinez (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) tossed the first 3.2 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits with one strikeout and five walks. Junior Cavan Penberthy (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) gave up one unearned run and four hits over 3.1 innings with one strikeout and two walks for the victory (1-0). Senior Joe Moran (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) surrendered five hits and five runs (four earned) in 1.1 innings, striking out one and walking two, while junior Mitch D'Amato (Edison, N.J./Edison) picked up his fourth save with 0.2 inning of one-strikeout ball.
Rueger finished 2-for-5 for the Gothic Knights with three RBI and two runs scored. Freshman Jose Ortiz suffered the loss (1-3), giving up seven runs on eight hits with three strikeouts over 3.1 innings, and sophomore Mario Albunia allowed three hits, two walks and a pair of runs in 0.2 inning. Freshman Jason Szurlej surrendered four hits and three runs in 2.0 innings of work, while classmate Sean Gibney gave up a pair of runs on two hits in 0.1 inning, Junior Luis Lozada-Jerez tossed the final 1.2 innings, allowing three hits and one run with two strikeouts.
Game Two
A four-run sixth inning helped propel New Jersey City to a 9-7 victory during the second game.
The Gothic Knights jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead. Rueger opened the game with a walk, stole second and scored when Niech singled to right center. Martucci's double was followed by an RBI-groundout from sophomore right fielder Eric Giordano, and Buchholz added a run-scoring base hit through the right side.
The Pioneers got one run back with an Abate triple and Garguilo single through the right side during the home half of the first.
Sanchez singled and Rowe walked to start the bottom of the second, and both stole a base before sophomore catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) drove in Sanchez with a base hit to left and Abate hit a two-run double to left-center field for a 4-3 WP lead.
NJCU leveled the score at 4-4 in the third as Buchholz crossed the plate on a double steal before the tag could be applied to the runner on first.
Giordano doubled to open the top of the fifth and later trotted home thanks to a Coutinho sac fly, handing the Gothic Knights a 5-4 edge.
New Jersey City opened the game up with four more runs in the sixth. Rueger tripled and Niech doubled, followed by a wild pitch, popup and Weinstein RBI-single to right. Weinstein stole second and moved to third via a groundout, and he crossed home after a throwing error allowed batter Buchholz to end up at third base. Coutinho doubled in Buchholz, and the Gothic Knights owned a 9-4 lead.
Kenny started the home half of the eighth by being hit by a pitch, and base hits by Sanchez and Rowe loaded the bases. Consecutive run-scoring groundouts by Eggert and Knauf pulled WP to within three at 9-6.
Consecutive infield singles by Abate and Flores added one final run for WP during the bottom of the ninth inning.
Knauf and Abate were both 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI for the Pioneers.
Senior Ryan Monaghan (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) started and surrendered four runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings, striking out three and walking five. D'Amato fell to 1-1, allowing six hits and five runs (three earned) with one walk over 2.1 innings. Junior Frankie Colasante (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) had one walk in 0.1 inning of work, and classmate Jon Padilla (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) gave up one hit while registering two punchouts during the final 3.0 innings.
Niech finished 3-for-4 and posted two doubles, a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Senior Kevin DeMauro earned the complete-game win (2-3), surrendering seven runs (six earned) and 12 hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Prior to the game, the Pioneers honored their four seniors – Flores, Tom Gaccione (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional), Monaghan and Moran.
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