WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (8-8-2, 1-1 NJAC) dropped game one 3-1, but unloaded with 13 hits during a 7-3 win in game two as it split a doubleheader with Rutgers-Camden (8-9, 1-1 NJAC) to open New Jersey Athletic Conference action April 2.
 
Game 1
Both pitchers turned quality starts, although the Pioneers couldn't muster enough offense as they fell 3-1 in game one.
 
Rutgers-Camden second baseman Chris Jones led off the second inning with a double and was followed by a bunt single from senior left fielder Doug Carter Jr, giving the Scarlet Raptors runners on the corners with nobody out. A ground ball to junior third baseman Bernard Brito (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn) resulted in a run down between third and home, leading to the first out of the inning, although runners advanced to second and third on the play.  Senior designated hitter Brandon Cornelius gave Rutgers-Camden the 1-0 lead one batter latter with a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
Jones led off Rutgers-Camden's scoring once again by drawing a walk to start the top of the fourth. He later advanced to third due to a wild pitch and a mishandled pickoff attempt by the Pioneer defense.  A Jon Theckston sacrifice fly to right field plated Jones, giving Rutgers-Camden a 2-0 lead.
 
The Pioneers answered in the bottom of the fourth inning with a leadoff double to right-center by junior right fielder Anthony Hoagland (Dumont, N.J./Dumont). Senior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) dribbled a single to the pitcher, moving Hoagland to third.  A suicide squeeze was laid down by freshman left fielder Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne), pushing across the first run of the game for William Paterson and cutting the deficit to 2-1.
 
Cornelius extended the Scarlet Raptor lead to 3-1 in the top of the ninth with a solo home run to center field.
 
Sophomore left hander Chris Babb (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) only allowed two runs, one earned, in 7.0 innings, while fanning six batters. Despite taking the loss, it was Babb's (2-3) third straight appearance with at least 6.0 IP and less than two earned runs allowed.  Sophomore righty Eric Rosenberg (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) surrendered one earned run in 2.0 innings, striking out one batter.
 
Rutgers-Camden sophomore starter, right hander Ian Schiedemann (2-1), earned the win behind 8.0 innings of one-run ball. Junior closer Carter Fichter worked around a single in the bottom of the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
 
Game 2
All nine Pioneers recorded hits and the WP bullpen only allowed one baserunner in 4.0 scoreless innings during a 7-3 win in game two.
 
Senior first baseman Frank Cerami IV would help give Rutgers-Camden the 1-0 lead in the top of the third after leading off the frame with a single up the middle. After stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout, Cerami IV crossed the plate on a fielding error by Pioneer shortstop, Rob Eggert (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield).
 
Senior center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) helped WP knot it up 1-1 in the Pioneers half of the third inning after reaching on a two-out single to right field. Abate would get caught in a rundown trying to steal second base, but a poor throw allowed him to advance. Freshman designated hitter Vin Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) drew a walk before Hoagland casted an RBI single to left field, driving in Abate.
 
The Scarlet Raptors reclaimed the lead, 3-1, by scoring twice in the top of the fourth. Jones led off the inning by reaching on a dropped third strike, stole second base and reached third due to a fielding error on a ground ball off the bat of Carter Jr. Theckston loaded the bags with a walk before Cornelius drove in Jones and Carter Jr. with a single into right center. Cornelius was thrown out by Abate while trying to advance to second on the base hit, and WP starter sophomore Corey Martinez (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) struck out back-to-back batters to end the threat.
 
The back-and-forth contest continued in bottom of the fifth inning when WP tied it up, 3-3. With the bases loaded and two outs, first baseman Eriq Colon (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) ripped a hard ground ball that caromed into right center field, knocking in Abate and sophomore catcher Jorge Solodkin (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn). Solodkin reached on a fielder's choice and Abate singled earlier in the frame, followed up by a bunt single from Dorio, loading the bases for Colon.
 
WP established the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks in part to a pair of triples. Perez launched a triple over the center fielder's head and then scored on a wild pitch, making it 4-3 Pioneers. Freshman second baseman Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) followed Perez's example with another triple to center field, and was plated by a Solodkin line drive single to right field for the 5-3 lead.
 
Eggert led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and was pushed to third by a Brito base hit into right field. With runners at the corners, Solodkin hit a sharp groundball that freshman shortstop Nolan Gerold could only stop with a dive, plating Eggert and putting WP ahead 6-3. Dorio tacked on another run, landing a flared, RBI-single on the left field line, bringing Brito across the plate for the 7-3 advantage.
 
Martinez struck out seven batters in 5.0 innings, allowing three runs, one earned on four hits and one walk in the no-decision effort. Junior right hander Mario Danza (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Twp.) inherited a 3-3 tie in the sixth and worked 3.0 scoreless-innings to earn the win, improving to 2-0. Senior righty Frank Colasante (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game.
 
Rutgers-Camden's senior righty Zach Welsher (1-1) took the loss, surrendering five earned runs on nine hits and two walks in 5.2 innings, striking out nine. Sophomore southpaw Steven Bloyed pitched 0.2 scoreless inning and junior right hander Tommy Dolaghan allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk in 1.2 innings of relief.
 
Hoagland went 3-for-7 with a double, RBI, run scored and two walks between the two games. Dorio notched a 3-for-5 day with an RBI and a walk, appearing as a pinch hitter in game one and as the designated hitter in game two.
 
Cornelius went 2-for-7 on the day, belting a home run, driving in two runs while scoring another.
 
William Paterson will host Alvernia Tuesday, April 4, at 3:30 p.m.
     
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