WAYNE, N.J. – The William Paterson baseball team (3-6) picked up its first road win of the season after edging out Manhattanville (3-2), 11-10, in a game that was called after eight innings due to darkness March 13.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Senior Jake Lutz led off the game with a double to right center before later coming around to score on a wild pitch to help WP jump out to an early 1-0 advantage.
- Manhattanville evened the score in the bottom half of the frame before putting up four runs in the second to go ahead, 5-1.
- In the third inning, junior Tyler Ruban drew a base on balls to open the frame and came in to score once freshman Ty Kobylakiewicz launched a two-run home run over the fence to trim the deficit to two (5-3).
- Still with no outs, junior Giovanni Aresta doubled to center and crossed home on an RBI base knock from classmate Tom Radigan to make it a one-run game (5-4).
- The Pioneers evened the score in the fourth after senior Noah Cabassa reached on a throwing error by a Valiants' infielder and later crossed home on an RBI two-bagger from Kobylakiewicz.
- Manhattanville retook the lead (6-5) with one run in the bottom of the fourth, but William Paterson responded with three runs in the fifth. The Pioneers had runners on the corners with one out when junior Christian Hay sent a ball through the right side to drive in a run. Two batters later, Lutz recorded and RBI base knock to give WP a one-run lead (7-6) before another run crossed on a wild pitch.
- The Valiants knotted the score up at eight apiece in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run single to right field.
- With two outs in the sixth, back-to-back doubles from juniors Austin Jack and Connor Luckie put the Pioneers on top by one (9-8) before a costly fielding error by Manhattanville later permitted another run to come in and push the lead to two.
- In the seventh, Ruban tallied a leadoff single and scored once Kobylakiewicz belted an RBI two-bagger into center field to extend the lead to three (11-8).
- Manhattanville pushed two runs across in the bottom of the seventh to make it a one-run game (11-10).
- That would be as close as the Valiants would get as the Pioneers posted two scoreless frames to close out the game and earn the road win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Kobylakiewicz went 3-for-6 at the plate with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and a run scored.
- Lutz logged a two-hit outing with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
- Jack recorded a pair of doubles and a run scored.
- Luckie crossed home twice during a two-hit outing with a double and an RBI.
- Ruban tallied a pair of runs scored.
- Eight of the Pioneers 13 hits went for extra bases.
- Senior Ian Metzger earned his first save of the season after pitching a flawless eighth inning.
UP NEXT:
- The Pioneers will travel to the Sunshine State from March 16-22 to compete in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. WP opens the week with a 9:45 a.m. matchup against Wisconsin-Superior March 16.
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