WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (11-9-2, 4-1 NJAC) swept visiting New Jersey City (6-8, 1-3 NJAC) in a doubleheader April 8, extending the Pioneers' New Jersey Athletic Conference winning streak to four games.
 
Game 1
The Pioneers held NJCU scoreless for the final four frames and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure a 6-5 win in game one of the twin bill.
 
William Paterson struck first in the bottom of the first inning, plating three runs.  Three straight singles off the bats of senior designated hitter Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills), senior left fielder Mike Rowe (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) and junior right fielder Anthony Hoagland (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) loaded the bases for the Pioneers.  A line drive back up the box by senior first baseman Eriq Colon (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) plated Abate, and Rowe scored after senior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) reached on a hit by pitch.  New Jersey City righty Corey Nase attempted to pick off Colón at second but instead sailed the throw into centerfield, plating Hoagland and putting the Pioneers up 3-0.
 
New Jersey City responded in the top of the second inning after a double to center field by junior designated hitter Dan Berardi scored senior second baseman Jeff Reinecke, who had reached via a walk, cutting the Pioneer lead to 3-1.
 
The Gothic Knights would tie the game at three an inning later. Walks by seniors Zach Buchholz and Nick Ruscingno put runners on first and second before first baseman Lenin Gomez poked an RBI single into right-center field, plating Buchholz.  A Berardi single through the left side drove in Ruscingno, making it 3-3.
 
The Gothic Knights took their first lead of the game in the top of the fifth inning, edging ahead to a 5-3 advantage. Back-to-back one-out singles by senior right fielder Joe Coutinho and Reinecke set the table for Berardi who doubled to straight-away center, scoring them both.
 
The Pioneers delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three unearned runs to go ahead, 6-5.  Freshman shortstop Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) singled to left center before Abate and Rowe drew walks to load the bags.  With two outs, Hoagland lifted a ball to left field that was misplayed, allowing three runs to score, giving the Pioneers a one-run lead.
 
The Pioneer bullpen carried the weight the rest of the way. Junior right hander Bryan Kopko (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) and senior righty Frank Colasante (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) combined to pitch four spotless innings from the sixth inning on, helping WP secure the win. Kopko (1-2) was the pitcher of record, allowing four hits and two walks while fanning one in 4.2 innings of work on the way to his first win of the season. Colasante dealt perfect frames in the eighth and ninth, striking out one to earn his third save of the season. Sophomore righty Eric Rosenberg (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) started the game for WP, surrendering three runs, two earned, on two hits while fanning three in 2.1 innings. 
 
Sophomore southpaw Kyle Kafer (1-2) suffered the loss, allowing three unearned runs on seven walks and one hit in 5.0 innings of relief.
 
Sophomore starter Nate Facey was pulled after facing five hitters. The right hander allowed four hits, hit one batter and allowed three runs, two earned. Sophomore righty Corey Nase worked in middle relief, hurling 3.0 hitless innings, striking out one and walking two.
 
Game 2
Sophomore right hander Corey Martinez (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) pitched seven innings of three-run ball, Colon provided the eventual game-winning two-run home run and Colasante closed out his second save of the afternoon as WP topped NJCU, 6-3, in the second half of the double dip
 
The Gothic Knights tallied two runs in the top of the first inning, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Freshman left fielder Bill Feehan led off the frame with a single to Ferrara, although the freshman shortstop could only keep the sharply-hit ball in the infield with a dive. Senior center fielder Nick Ruscingo doubled into the right field corner, putting runners on second and third. Gomez plated Feehan with an RBI groundout to Ferrara and Coutinho knocked in Ruscingo with a triple into right-center field.
 
WP responded with two runs of its own, tying it at 2-2 in the bottom of the second. After Colon reached first base on a hit by pitch, Knauf roped an RBI double that rolled to the left field wall to score Colon. Junior catcher Jorge Solodkin (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) moved Knauf to third with a line drive single to center field, and Ferrara made it 2-2 after beating out an RBI-infield single to second base.
 
Colon would provide all the runs WP would need the rest of the way with a towering two-run home run to left-center field in the bottom of the third, putting the Pioneers ahead 4-2. Abate scored on Colon's fourth long ball of the season after doubling down the left field line to begin the third inning.
 
Abate ignited another WP rally in the bottom of the fifth inning, legging out a one-out double that he flared into shallow-center field. Sophomore left fielder Garett Wiedemann (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) walked and Hoagland doubled down the left field line, scoring Abate and putting runners at second and third base. Colon was the recipient of an intentional walk before Knauf brought Wiedemann across the plate with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, creating a 6-2 lead for the Pioneers.
 
The Gothic Knights pushed across a run in the top of the seventh inning, cutting their deficit to 6-3. Berardi reached on a fielder's choice following a leadoff single from Reinecke. Berardi advanced to second base on a base hit from freshman third baseman Steven Ramos. NJCU attempted a double steal, although Solodkin threw out Ramos at second base as Berardi moved up to third base. With two away, senior pinch hitter Zach Buchholz drove in Berardi with a single up the middle, although Solodkin threw out Buchholz as he was trying to steal second base one batter later, avoiding further damage.
 
Freshman southpaw Zach Polzer (North Haledon, N.J./Passaic County Tech) struck out two batters in a perfect eighth inning, setting up Colasante who picked up his fourth save of the season and second of the day by setting down NJCU in order in the top of the ninth.
 
Martinez improved to 4-0, allowing three runs in 7.0 innings of work, striking out four while scattering five hits and not permitting a walk.
 
NJCU reliever, junior lefty Matt Ramirez (1-2), was saddled with the loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks while fanning five in 6.2 innings on the hill. Gothic Knights starter, junior left hander Tyler Folger, worked 1.0 scoreless inning before being relieved by Nase, who allowed two earned runs on two hits in 0.1 inning in his second relief appearance of the doubleheader.
 
Abate went 3-for-6 with four runs, three walks and two doubles on the day. Colon and Knauf drove in three runs apiece across the two wins.
 
Berardi paced the Gothic Knights by going 4-for-8 with four RBI, three doubles, one run scored and one stolen base.
 
William Paterson will visit Montclair State Monday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m.
     
For all of the latest information on the Pioneers, visit http://www.wpupioneers.com and http://www.wpupioneers.com/socialmedia.