WAYNE, N.J.  – If there was a time to use the baseball colloquialism, slugfest, William Paterson's 19-10 win against Rutgers-Newark (9-17, 1-7 NJAC) April 13 would be the appropriate time. Despite a slow start that had WP (17-8, 5-3 NJAC) down 5-0 in the bottom of the third, WP uncorked 19 hits to help score its most runs since a 22-14 home victory against Baruch April 9, 2013.
 
Notable Takeaways:
-The game was called in the middle of the eighth due to darkness.
-The Pioneers scored eight runs in the bottom of the third, the most in a single inning since plating eight in the first inning during a 9-8 win against RPI, March 15, 2016.
-32 different players had plate appearances between the two teams.
-WP and Rutgers-Newark set the 2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference single-game record for hits (35), runs (29), RBI (25) home runs (2) and total bases (49).
 
For the second day in a row, Rutgers-Newark took the early momentum before it swung back to the Pioneers. Rutgers-Newark strung three hits together to plate the game's first run in the top of the first. Senior catcher Justin Marks roped a single to left and advanced to third on a single to right field from senior first baseman Brian Boulineau. The Scarlet Raiders put Boulineau in motion on the ensuing pitch, sending sophomore second baseman Matt Ferrara (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) to cover second, vacating the area as senior center fielder Adam Tricarico chopped a grounder to Ferrara that he could only dive and stop, scoring Marks. Boulineau and Tricarico moved up a base on a wild pitch before an RBI fielder's choice groundout to shortstop brought in Boulineau, making it 2-0 Rutgers-Newark.
 
The Scarlet Raiders brought in another pair of runs an inning later thanks to a two-run single off the bat of  sophomore second baseman JC Ball through a pulled in left side of the infield. Ball was caught leaning off of first by sophomore lefty Zach Polzer one pitch later, the second time Polzer did so in as many innings. The visitors made it 5-0 in the third when Marks crossed home again, scoring on a two-out RBI single down the right field line courtesy of senior center fielder Anthony Perconte.
 
WP turned the tables for good by erupting for eight runs in the third. Freshman first baseman Carson Weis(Rivervale, N.J./Pascack Valley Regional) led off the frame with a chopper up the middle and moved to second on a line drive base hit to left from senior catcher Jorge Solodkin (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn). Freshman center fielder Steven DiGirolamo (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) hit a sharp one-hop ground ball but right at Ball at second base as he retired Solodkin, although a wild throw from junior shortstop Ryan Zucker allowed Weis to score from second. Classmate Francis Deane (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) took a 1-2 pitch into right center for an RBI double, scoring DiGirolamo from first. Deane scampered to third on a wild pitch before classmate right fielder Dan Carter (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) hit a chopper to third base that junior third baseman Dom Magliaro fielded before unsuccessfully diving to tag Deane out. Sophomore designated hitter Carlos Perez (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) took advantage with a two-RBI triple into right center and scored following a 3-2 wild pitch to Ferrara. Rookie shortstop Greg Cuevas (West New York, N.J./St. Mary (Rutherford)) was lifted out of an 0-2 hole by being hit by pitch, bringing in sophomore righty Michael Katims to replace rookie southpaw starter Michael Matusz. The rookie-ignated rally continued when third baseman Christopher Liriano (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) welcomed Katims with a three-run home run to left center on the reliever's first pitch, putting WP up 8-5.
 
Perez made it halfway to the cycle with a ringing double to deep right field, moved up to third on a Ferrara fly out to center and scored on a two-out RBI roller through the right side from Cuevas, putting WP up 9-5 after four.
 
The lineup kept turning over in the fifth as WP scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth on seven hits. The inning started off slowly off with a Liriano single to left and a Weis sac bunt that saw everyone safe as Rutgers-Newark failed to get Liriano at second. Solodkin bunted both runners up a base before DiGirolamo uncorked a two-RBI single to center field. Deane and Carter roped back-to-back singles, scoring DiGirolamo and forcing Rutgers-Newark to go to sophomore righty Vincent Conti. A wild pitch and a passed ball scored Dean and Perez clubbed another double to drive in Carter. Another single, a Cuevas RBI groundout to first and another the second RBI single in the inning from Liriano made it 16-5 WP after five.
 
The top of the sixth saw the Scarlet Raiders get one back. Ball rolled an infield single to third and moved to second on a throwing error. Zucker hooked an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Ball.
 
DiGirolamo tucked an opposite field liner inside the left field line for a double in the bottom of the sixth before he scored on a wild pitch, making it 17-6 Pioneers.
 
Junior designated hitter Luke Magliaro followed with his own three-run home run to left field as part of Rutgers-Newark's four-run seventh.
 
The scoring finally came to a close after WP added two in the bottom of the seventh, bringing it to 19-10. Ferrara lifted a deep double to left and scored on an RBI single by junior first baseman Shane Adams(Cape May, N.J./Cape May Tech). Freshman catcher Stephen Zukofsky (North Haledon, N.J./Passaic County Tech) rolled an RBI-infield single, plating Liriano who took the brunt of a hit by pitch earlier in the inning.
 
Junior right hander Ryan Tomao (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville) got the final two Scarlet Raiders to strike out in the top of the eighth before the game was called due to darkness.
 
14 different players had plate appearances for WP, although Liriano shined the brightest, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, three runs, a home run ad a hit by pitch. Perez wasn't far behind, collecting seven total bases with a 3-for-4 performance, collecting three runs and three RBI. DiGirolamo did more than enough to keep his eight-game hitting streak alive, going 3-for-5 with three runs, two RBI and a double. Ferrara and Deane also had multi-hit games and combined for five runs.
 
Boulineau and Zucker collected a team high three hits apiece, Magliaro drove in three and Marks scored twice and went 2-for-4.
 
Polzer started and left after 2.1 frames, permitting five runs on six hits and two walks while fanning a pair of Scarlet Raiders. Sophomore righty Kyle Weiner (Wyckoff, N.J./Bergen Catholic) (3-1) emerged from the slugfest with the win as he was instrumental in relief, stabilizing WP by scattering three hits for 2.2 scoreless innings. Senior righty Bryan Kopko (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) fanned one and allowed an unearned run in one frame, freshman righty Jake Kavanagh (Midland Park, N.J./Midland Park) surrendered four runs, three earned in an inning and Tomao pitched a scoreless eighth.
 
Matusz (1-2) started strong before running into WP's third-inning onslaught, allowing seven earned runs on four hits, one walk and one hit batter in 2.2 innings while fanning two. Rutgers-Newark's three relievers, Katims, Conti and senior Greg Sampson allowed 12 runs on 15 hits.
 
WP puts its six-game winning streak on the line when it comes back with a home doubleheader against Kean Saturday, April 14 at 11:30 a.m.
 
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