NEWARK, N.J. (April 21, 2016) – The Rutgers University-Newark baseball team suffered a tough loss at Riverfront Stadium Thursday afternoon, falling to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival William Paterson University by a score of 4-3.
 
R-N was able to build a 2-0 lead with single tallies in the fifth and seventh innings, but the Pioneers came back with three runs in the eighth to take a 3-2 lead. The Raiders battled right back to tie, but Paterson plated the game-winner in the ninth to earn the triumph.
 
Rutgers-Newark falls to 12-20 overall and 4-7 in the conference, while William Paterson improves to 16-15 overall and 5-6 in the NJAC.
 
The same two teams will square off Friday afternoon at William Paterson. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m.
 
Freshman Anthony Rosoline started and was masterful through the first seven innings, working out of a bases loaded jam and keeping the Pioneers off the scoreboard. In the eighth, the rookie gave up three runs and his final line was 7.1 innings, three runs, seven hits and a pair of strikeouts. Vincent Enea suffered the loss, going 1.1 innings and giving up one run on four hits.
 
Senior Mitch D'Amato went the first 6.2 innings for the Pioneers, allowing two runs on seven hits (five strikeouts), and sophomore Bryan Kopko pocketed the win (4-2) with two scoreless innings of relief.
 
The Scarlet Raiders totaled nine hits in the game, getting two from sophomore third baseman Brian Boulineau and two from senior shortstop Gerry Patrizio. Boulineau went 2-for-5 with an RBI and Patrizio was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Sophomore catcher Justin Marks was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored, freshman second baseman Ryan Zucker went 1-for-2 with a walk, run scored and RBI and junior left fielder Josh Cote was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
 
The Scarlet Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when a Boulineau single plated Patrizio for the game's first run. That lead moved to two runs in the seventh when Zucker singled with one out to start the inning, and then came around to score after a two-out single from Boulineau and an RBI base knock from Cote.
 
Paterson came back with three markers on four hits in their half of the eighth, but a resilient Rutgers-Newark squad came back to tie (3-3) with a run on two hits in the bottom of the frame. Senior Cameron Dias led off with a single to set the table, and Marks followed with a walk to put two on with nobody out. Patrizio singled to load the bases with one out, and Zucker drew a walk, allowing Dias to score.
 
The Pioneers scored the winning run on a pair of two-out hits in the ninth, getting a key conference victory and moving back over .500.
 
WPU finished the game with 11 hits, getting a 3-for-4 (RBI) performance from junior Mike Abate to lead the way. Abate also drove in the winning run.