GALLOWAY, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (13-17-2, 6-8 NJAC) split a conference doubleheader at Stockton (13-17, 5-9 NJAC) April 23, dropping the opener 5-4 in 12 innings before bouncing back for a 3-2 victory.
WP is tied for sixth place in the conference standings with four games remaining. The top six teams will qualify for the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament that begins Tuesday, May 2.
Game One
The Pioneers rallied to tie the score during the top of the seventh inning, but the Ospreys were able to come up with the winning run during the home half of the 12th for a 5-4 victory.
A double, single, two hit by pitches and a pair of walks allowed Stockton to plate a pair of runs during the bottom of the first inning.
Junior center fielder Zach Gustites homered in the second for a 3-0 edge.
Base hits by freshman second baseman Vin Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) and junior right fielder Anthony Hoagland (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) and a fielder's choice from senior first baseman Eriq Colón (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) left runners on the corners with two outs in the sixth. Senior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) singled through the left side to plate Dorio, and a later error allowed Colón to touch home and cut it to a 3-2 margin.
The Ospreys used a walk, error, groundout and wild pitch to add one more run during the home half of the sixth inning.
Freshman designated hitter Eric Breun (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) led off the seventh with a single up the middle and stole second before a groundout and error made it a 4-3 score. A Dorio base hit and Hoagland sacrifice fly then tied the game.
WP had the bases loaded with two outs in the 10th, and runners on second and third with two outs in the 12th, but could not come up with the go-ahead run.
Stockton strung together a pair of singles, an error and a sac fly for the winning run during the bottom half of the 12th inning.
Hoagland finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, and Dorio was 3-for-6 and scored a run.
Sophomore Chris Babb (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) tossed the first 6.0 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks, striking out seven. Junior Bryan Kopko (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) gave up one unearned run, four hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts during 5.1 innings on the mound (2-3).
Sophomore second baseman Mike DeSenzo went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Ospreys. Freshman Ryan Moore picked up the win in relief with 2.0 shutout innings, giving up a hit and walk with two strikeouts (1-2).
Game Two
WP scored three unanswered runs for a 3-2 victory during the night cap.
Two errors, a walk and an RBI-groundout handed the Ospreys a 1-0 second-inning edge, and a double, sacrifice and single made it 2-0 in the fourth.
Sophomore designated hitter Anthony DiBartolo (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) started the top of the fifth with a walk, followed by a strikeout, Bernard Brito (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn) base on balls and Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) hit by pitch. Dorio was issued a walk, forcing across DiBartolo for the Pioneers' first run.
Breun singled to third base and junior catcher Jorge Solodkin (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) reached after a fielder's choice error, putting runners on the corners during the sixth. A balk plated Breun for a 2-2 deadlock.
Ferrara singled and Dorio walked before a double play left Ferrara on third base with two outs in the seventh. Colón doubled in the go-ahead run, 3-2.
Colón went 2-for-4 with an RBI-double for WP.
Junior Adam Miller (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) gave up four hits, two runs (one earned) and five walks over 7.1 innings, striking out five (2-1). Senior Frank Colasante (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) earned his sixth save with 1.2 shutout innings, surrendering one hit while striking out one.
Junior catcher Antonio Morello was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Stockton. Senior starter Dylan Warburton fell to 4-3 after giving up three runs (two earned), four hits and six walks while striking out eight in 6.0 innings.
William Paterson will visit The College of New Jersey Thursday, April 27, at 3:30 p.m.
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