WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson (1-1) split a home doubleheader with Stevens (3-1) to open its 2023 baseball season Feb. 18 at Jeff Albies Field. The Pioneers dropped the seven-inning first game, 5-1, before securing a 13-10 nine-inning victory.
GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- A pair of hit by pitches and a single through the right side handed the Ducks a 1-0 first-inning edge.
- Stevens made it a 3-0 margin in the third with an error, single, double and RBI-groundout.
- A walk, stolen base and error, and sacrifice fly pushed the Ducks' advantage to 4-0 during the top half of the fourth inning.
- The Pioneers broke up the no-hitter when graduate student catcher Steve Yelin led off the home half of the fourth with a double to left center. Graduate student right fielder Dan Carter advanced him to third with a ground ball, and graduate student first baseman Carson Weis delivered an RBI-groundout for a 4-1 score.
- Stevens finished the scoring in the sixth, stringing together an error, sacrifice and run-scoring groundout for a single run.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Yelin finished 1-for-3 with a double and run scored. Weis delivered the Pioneers' only RBI.
- Junior starter Ian Metzger surrendered four runs (one earned) on five hits, a walk and four strikeouts during 3.2 innings (0-1).
- Graduate student Matt Lawler worked the final 3.1 innings and allowed one hit and one unearned run, posting one strikeout.
- The Pioneers were ranked 16th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division III Preseason Poll and received votes in the D3baseball.com/National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason Top 25 Poll.
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Ducks struck again during their first at-bat, this time with a leadoff walk, sacrifice, failed pickoff and RBI-double, seizing a 1-0 advantage.
- WP took the lead with a pair of first-inning runs. Graduate student second baseman Colin Lombardo led off with a single to short, moved to second via a Jake Lutz groundout and beat the throw to third on a Yelin ground ball. Carter walked to load the bases, and after a force at the plate for the second out, sophomore shortstop Tom Radigan drew a base on balls and sophomore designated hitter Tyler Ruban was hit by a pitch to force across two runners and make it a 2-1 margin.
- The Pioneers added two more in the second. Junior left fielder Elliott Hayward opened the frame with an infield single, and Lombardo's base hit to left was bobbled by the fielder, allowing Hayward to cover the final 90 feet to the plate. Lutz delivered an RBI-single to short and WP was ahead, 4-1.
- Four bases on balls and a two-run single leveled the score at 4-4 in the third.
- William Paterson regained control with a three-run fourth. Lombardo was hit by a pitch and Lutz singled to right center to put runners on the corners for Yelin, who doubled to right for one run. Carter was intentionally walked to load the bases, and after a balk plated Lutz, Weis lifted a sacrifice fly to shallow right, pushing the Pioneers ahead by a 7-4 count.
- WP added four more to its lead during the home half of the fifth inning. Ruban led off with a hit by pitch, freshman third baseman Will Pitt drew an eight-pitch base on balls and Lombardo was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Lutz had an RBI-groundout and Yelin followed with a two-run single to make it an 11-4 game.
- The Ducks used a walk, hit by pitch and three consecutive base hits to plate three runners in the top of the sixth.
- Doubles by Pitt and Lombardo tacked on a single Pioneer score during the bottom of the sixth inning, 12-7.
- A two-run Stevens double cut the margin to 12-9 during the top half of the eighth.
- Lutz singled in Lombardo, who had walked and stole second, to push WP's lead to 13-9 after eight innings.
- Stevens plated one run during the top of the ninth inning and had the bases loaded with two outs, but senior reliever Dan Castaneda came on and recorded the final out with a fly ball to center.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Lutz finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored, and Yelin went 2-for-6 while adding a double, three RBI and three runs. Lombardo was 3-for-3 and posted a double, RBI and four runs scored.
- Junior Nick Nielson tossed the first 4.1 innings and allowed four runs, two hits and seven walks, striking out four.
- Sophomore Matt Lemieux twirled 3.1 innings of four-hit, five-run relief, walking three and striking out three (1-0).
- Sophomore Nell Telidevara gave up two hits, a pair of walks and one run during 1.0 inning of action. Castaneda earned his first save of the season.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson plays a single game at Stevens Sunday, Feb. 19, at 12:00 p.m.
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