AUBURNDALE, FLA. – The William Paterson baseball team (8-5) swept Bowdoin (1-5), 8-4 and 2-1, March 16 during a seven-inning doubleheader at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. Junior starting pitchers Corey Martinez and Chris Babb combined for two earned runs allowed and 15 strikeouts over 12.1 innings.
Game One
WP built a 4-2 edge by the top of the third inning, and took control with a three-run fourth.
Junior first baseman Shane Adams reached second base on a second-inning error, and another error and a Steven DiGirolamo RBI-single made it a 1-0 score.
An error and Jack Wilhoite homer pushed the Polar Bears ahead, 2-1, in the home half of the second.
Back-to-back singles by freshman shortstop Greg Cuevas and sophomore designated hitter Eric Breun led to a game-tying base hit through the left side by sophomore second baseman Matt Ferrara. Freshman third baseman Christopher Liriano lifted a sac fly to right, and an error plated Ferrera for a 4-2 game in the third.
Freshman right fielder Dan Carter singled through the left side and trotted home on a Cuevas triple during the top of the fourth. A Breun groundout plated Cuevas, and Ferrara's base hit to center field pushed the lead to 7-2.
Ferrara opened the seventh with a single and Liriano tripled for an 8-2 edge. Bowdoin used three base hits and an error for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Ferrara finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored, while Cuevas added a triple to his RBI, two runs and 3-for-4 effort.
Martinez (3-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits over 6.0 innings, striking out seven and walking two. Freshman Andrew D'Ambrosio was charged with two hits and two runs, and junior Jack Benson got his first save with 1.0 inning of one-hit ball, registering a punchout.
Freshman third baseman Austin Zakow and sophomore shortstop Connor Lee were both 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Polar Bears. Junior starter Ben Osterholtz (0-1) gave up eight hits, seven runs (five earned) and a walk during 4.0 innings of work.
Game Two
A single run during the bottom of the fifth inning was the difference for the Pioneers.
WP opened the scoring in the second when sophomore third baseman Carlos Perez hit a two-out single, stole second and crossed home via a DeAngelo Descorbeth infield base hit.
Bowdoin strung together a walk, fielder's choice, steal and single to knot the score at 1-1 in the fourth.
DiGirolamo started the fifth with a base hit through the left side and was sacrificed to second by Carter. After a wild pitch and walk, Breun singled to the pitcher for the go-ahead run.
DiGirolamo went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Pioneers.
Babb (1-2) scattered two hits, three walks and a run over 6.1 innings, striking out a career-high eight. Junior Eric Rosenberg garnered the save by recording the final two outs via strikeout after allowing a hit.
Three different Polar Bears accounted for Bowdoin's three hits. Sophomore starter Seamus Keenan (0-1) gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out seven in 5.2 innings.
The Pioneers will finish their Spring Break trip Saturday, March 17, against Becker at 9:00 a.m.
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