AUBURNDALE, FLA. – The William Paterson baseball team (9-5) saw its four-game win streak snapped by a 15-9 loss to No. 5 Wisconsin-La Crosse (6-3) March 18 at the Central Florida Invitational.
Last year's national runners-up, the Eagles used two singles, a wild pitch and an error to take a 2-0 lead during the top of the first inning, and made it a 3-0 game in the second thanks to an error, groundout and double. UW-L added four more scores in the third, including a three-run home run.
The Pioneers got on the scoreboard with a four-run third. Sophomore second baseman Rob Eggert (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) was issued a leadoff walk and senior left fielder Tyler Garguilo (Paramus, N.J./Paramus) was hit by a pitch before a one-out single by graduate student third baseman K.C. Abel (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Valley) loaded the bases. Two straight bases on balls by sophomore first baseman Anthony Hoagland(Dumont, N.J./Dumont) and senior right fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) plated two runners, junior catcher Mike Knauf (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) hit a sacrifice fly to center field and junior designated hitter Mike Rowe (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) hit an RBI-single down the right-field line for a 7-4 margin.
Four base hits, a walk, error, wild pitch and sac fly resulted in four Eagles runs during the top of the fourth inning. The Pioneers responded with three scores in the bottom half of the same frame. Garguilo singled up the middle and junior center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) doubled to left center before an Abel RBI-groundout. Hoagland walked, Kenny singled in Abate and junior catcher Eriq Colon (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) knocked in Hoagland with a base hit up the middle for an 11-7 game.
A pair of singles, a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly added one more for UW-L in the fifth. During the bottom of the same inning, a bases-loaded walk to Hoagland made it a 12-8 score.
The Eagles tacked on three ninth-inning unearned runs, and WP finished the scoring with one run during its final at-bat thanks to a bases-loaded single from Abel.
Colon went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Abel was 2-for-5 and notched two RBI and a run scored, and Abate finished 2-for-5 with a double and run scored. Hoagland was 0-for-2 but drew four walks and forced across a pair of runs while scoring twice, while Garguilo went 2-for-4, hit a double and scored two runs.
Junior starter Mike Sasso (West Orange, N.J./Montclair Kimberley) gave up 10 hits and 11 runs (six earned) with one strikeout and two walks over 4.0 innings (0-3). Sophomore Steve Addesso (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) threw 2.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits, and freshman Kevin Ludden (Monroe, N.J./Monroe Twp.) surrendered three unearned runs on four hits and two walks while registering three strikeouts during 3.0 innings on the mound.
Senior first baseman Justin Anderson was 3-for-6 with a home run, five RBI and two runs scored for the Eagles. Freshman Caleb Willems was credited with the victory (1-0) after 1.0 inning of one-run, three-hit relief.
William Paterson will finish its time at the Central Florida Invitational with a game against UMass Saturday, March 19, at 9:30 a.m.
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