WAYNE, N.J. – No. 20 William Paterson (27-6, 14-4 NJAC) punched its ticket to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Baseball Tournament finals with a 4-2, 11-6 semifinal best-of-three sweep of sixth-seeded The College of New Jersey (11-17, 8-10 NJAC) May 14.
WP will play in the finals best-of-three series next weekend at top-seeded and ninth-ranked Rowan. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday, May 21, at 12:00 p.m., and if necessary, a single game Saturday, May 22, at 2:00 p.m. to determine who receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Junior designated hitter Dan Carter launched a pitch over the center-field fence, his fifth homer of the season, for a 1-0 Pioneer advantage during the home half of the second inning.
- Two walks and a fielder's choice left junior right fielder Steve Yelin on first and senior catcher Dylan Habeeb on second with two outs in the third. Carter flared a popup into shallow right between three fielders, and it bounced off the glove of the charging second baseman for a two-run double and a 3-0 lead.
- A hit by pitch, single, run-scoring wild pitch, strikeout/wild pitch and sac fly resulted in a pair of Lion runs during the top half of the sixth inning.
- WP added one run to its tally during the home half of the sixth. Senior first baseman Carson Weis singled up the middle to open the frame, advanced to second on a passed ball and trotted home when junior second baseman Colin Lombardo doubled to right-center field, making it a 4-2 game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Carter finished 2-for-3 with a double, home run and three RBI. Lombardo was 1-for-1, hitting an RBI-double and walking three times.
- Sophomore Darmany Rivas went 8.0 innings, scattering two runs, a pair of hits and a walk while collecting seven strikeouts (8-0).
- Junior Matt Lawler faced one batter in the ninth. Classmate Riley Weis recorded the game's final three outs for his second save of the year, allowing one hit.
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The visiting team for the second game, William Paterson struck immediately with a one-out double down the left-field line by senior Matt Ferrara and an RBI-single to right field by Habeeb, making it a 1-0 score in the first.
- TCNJ answered with a base hit, wild pitch and run-scoring single for a 1-1 game after one inning.
- Senior left fielder Frankie Deane sent a two-out pitch to center field in the top of the second and senior center fielder Steven DiGirolamo followed with an RBI-triple to right center. After a Ferrara walk, Habeeb singled through the left side for a 3-1 edge.
- A two-run triple to right and RBI-groundout pushed The College of New Jersey ahead, 4-3, during the home half of the second inning.
- Deane opened the fourth inning with a base hit down the right-field line, and DiGirolamo delivered him home with a double to the gap in right center. A flyout advanced DiGirolamo to third, and a two-out Yelin infield popup was lost in the sun, allowing the go-ahead run to score, 5-4.
- The Pioneers broke the game open with a three-run sixth. Ferrara drew a leadoff walk and promptly raced home when Habeeb tucked a double inside the bag at third and into the left-field corner. Yelin then bombed a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left, his fifth round-tripper of the season.
- TCNJ got one run back during its next at-bat with a double and run-scoring single. The Lions had the bases loaded with one out, but sophomore Ian Metzger entered and used a strikeout and a ground ball to get out of the jam.
- WP cushioned its advantage with three more scores in the top half of the seventh inning. Back-to-back infield singles by Deane and DiGirolamo, a wild pitch and a Habeeb walk loaded the bags for Yelin, whose base hit through the right side plated two. Carter then lifted a sac fly to right center, plating Habeeb and making it an 11-5 score.
- The Lions turned a walk, error and single into a single seventh-inning run.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Yelin went 3-for-6 while posting a home run and five RBI, and Habeeb finished 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.
- DiGirolamo was 3-for-6, adding a double, triple, two RBI and three runs, while Deane had a 3-for-4 effort, touching the plate three times.
- Senior Jack DeFouw tossed 5.0 innings of four-run, four-hit ball, striking out four and walking one (7-1).
- Junior Jordan Manne surrendered three hits and a run during 0.1 inning of action. Metzger went 1.2 innings and gave up a run, hit and walk with one strikeout.
- Senior Zac Polzer had a walk and a strikeout during his 1.0 inning of work, and Carter struck out one of the three batters he faced in the ninth.
- With his second-inning triple, DiGirolamo moved into a tie for second place on the WP career list with Rick Pignatello (15, 2004-07).
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