FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The William Paterson baseball team (3-2) pulled away late for an 11-6 victory at Farmingdale State (0-4) March 8. Sophomore second baseman Jacob Bailey (Middletown, N.J./Middletown North) was 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and a pair of runs scored.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 5-0 first-inning lead. Junior center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) opened the game with a single through the right side and stole second before trotting home on a triple to right by graduate student third baseman K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley). An error and a triple to center field by junior designated hitter Eriq Colon (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) plated two more runs, and after a popup, junior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) drove in Colon thanks to a sacrifice fly to center. Senior shortstop Victor Sanchez (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) came up with an infield single and stole second, and Bailey delivered him to the plate with a base hit through the left side.
The Rams got one run back during the home half of the same frame, using a walk, single, fly ball and dropped third strike.
A Bailey single to the pitcher and an Abate base on balls brought Abel to the plate with two outs in the third. He hit a single to third, and Bailey came around to score on the play for a 6-1 margin.
Farmingdale State put together two singles, three walks and a double steal to push across three runs during the bottom of the fourth inning, and tied the game at 6-6 in the sixth thanks to a walk, sacrifice, base hit and double.
The Pioneers took back the lead during their next at-bat, crossing the plate four times during the top of the seventh inning. Senior right fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) hit a leadoff double to left and Knauf walked before Sanchez moved them up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Bailey sent an RBI-single down the left-field line, and senior left fielder Tyler Garguilo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) reached safely via a fielder's choice on a sacrifice attempt, loading the bases. Abate's RBI-single through the right side plated Knauf, and Abel drove in Bailey with a base hit through the left side. Hoagland's sac fly to right scored Garguilo and made it a 10-6 score.
Abate reached second base on a two-out error in the ninth, advanced to third thanks to a wild pitch, and scored the game's final run via an error.
Abel finished 3-for-6 with a triple, two RBI and a run scored, while Colon posted a 2-for-5 effort with a triple, two runs-batted-in and a run scored. Abate went 2-for-5, drove in a run and scored twice.
Sophomore Corey Martinez (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) tossed the first 3.0 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with five walks and a strikeout. Freshman Chris Babb (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) earned his first collegiate victory (1-0) with 3.0 innings of two-run, two-hit relief, walking one. Senior Mitch D'Amato (Edison, N.J./Edison) and freshman Eric Rosenberg (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) each registered a strikeout during 1.0 inning of hitless relief, and sophomore Bryan Kopko (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) surrendered one hit while pitching the final 1.0 inning.
Sophomore right fielder Brandon Ernest was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI for Farmingdale State. Freshman Christopher Keithline suffered the loss in relief (0-1), giving up three runs on two hits over 1.1 innings of work.
William Paterson will host Baruch Thursday, March 10, at 3:30 p.m.
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