BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Senior first baseman Eriq Colón (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) contributed a pair of home runs as the William Paterson baseball team (2-0-1) rolled to a 14-2 victory against Baruch (1-2) March 2 at MCU Park. The game was stopped after eight innings due to darkness.
The Pioneers struck immediately when senior center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) opened the game with a double down the left-field line and Colón followed three batters later with a homer to left.
Freshman designated hitter Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) led off the second inning with a triple to center field and was immediately followed by an RBI-single to left by junior shortstop Rob Eggert (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield).
WP made it a 5-0 game in the top of the third when junior right fielder Anthony Hoagland (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) sent a single to center field and Colón homered over the left-field fence.
Sophomore third baseman Jon Bernotas (Andover, N.J./Newton) reached second thanks to a one-out error in the fourth, advanced to third on a groundout and touched home when senior left fielder Mike Rowe (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) singled through the left side.
Perez hit a two-out single through the right side, stole second and scored on an Eggert double, making it a 7-0 game during the top of the fifth.
William Paterson scored for the sixth straight at-bat with a three-run sixth inning. Base hits by Bernotas and Abate, as well as a Rowe walk, led to a Hoagland run-scoring single to right field. A fielder's choice off the bat of Colón plated Abate, and senior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) singled in Rowe.
The Bearcats got on the scoreboard during the home half of the sixth, using two singles, a double and a Pioneer error.
Eggert and Bernotas both drew walks, and an error on an Abate fielder's choice pushed across Eggert in the seventh. A wild pitch was followed by a Rowe two-run single down the right-field line, and an error and wild pitch led to Hoagland's run-scoring groundout and a 14-2 score.
Colón went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, five RBI and two runs scored. Eggert finished 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and one run scored, while Rowe was 2-for-4 and added three RBI and a pair of runs. Abate, Hoagland, Knauf, and Perez each tallied two hits.
Sophomore Corey Martinez (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) earned the win as the starter (1-0), scattering four hits over 5.0 shutout innings while striking out four. Junior Mario Danza (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Twp.) allowed three hits and two runs (one earned) with three strikeouts in 1.0 inning, and senior Frank Colasante (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) struck out two and walked one during 1.0 inning of work. Sophomore Chris Phillips (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) induced three groundouts during the bottom of the eighth.
Junior right fielder Edwin St. Hilaire was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI for Baruch. Senior starter Joseph Cali suffered the loss (0-1), giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits over 4.0 innings, posting three strikeouts.
William Paterson will host Keene State for a seven-inning doubleheader Sunday, March 5, at 11:30 a.m.
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