WAYNE, N.J. – Junior lefty Chris Babb struck out 11 during 8.0 dominant innings for the William Paterson baseball team (21-10, 8-5 NJAC) during an opening 9-3 victory against Stockton (6-20, 3-11 NJAC) April 21, then the Pioneers scored four times in the ninth to force extra innings in the night cap before plating the winning run in the 12th for a 9-8 win.
With five regular-season games remaining, WP is in a three-way tie for fourth place in the league standings. The top six teams will qualify for the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament.
Game One
Babb allowed just two unearned runs over the course of 8.0 innings and the Pioneer bats provided some late run support for a 9-3 triumph.
The Ospreys crossed the plate twice during the top of the third inning, but WP took the lead with a three-run fifth. Freshman center fielder Steven DiGirolamo led off with a triple over the right fielder's head and freshman left fielder Francis Deane was hit by a pitch before sophomore third baseman Carlos Perez dropped a run-scoring single down the left-field line. A Matt Ferrara hit by pitch loaded the bases for freshman shortstop Greg Cuevas, who lifted a sac fly to right to tie the score. With runners on the corners and two outs, the Pioneers employed the delayed double-steal play, and a collision at home ended with Perez safely touching the plate with his hand for the go-ahead run.
William Paterson took control of the game with five runs in the bottom of the seventh. Back-to-back base hits from Perez and Ferrara brought Cuevas to the plate, and the Ospreys tried to get the lead runner on his sacrifice bunt attempt but were too late, loading the bases for sophomore designated hitter Vin Dorio. His ground ball was fielded cleanly, but the throw was short-hopped to the plate, allowing Perez to score. Senior catcher Jorge Solodkin drove in two more when he flared a single down the right-field line, and two batters later Deane delivered a two-RBI base hit into left field for an 8-2 advantage.
Perez added one more Pioneer run in the eighth when he singled to right, advanced to second on a wild pitch, moved to third thanks to a groundout and scrambled home after a passed ball.
Stockton finished the scoring in the ninth, putting together three base hits, a groundout and wild pitch.
Dorio was 4-for-5 with a triple and run scored, and Perez went 3-for-4 while scoring three times and driving in a run. Deane and Solodkin each contributed a pair of RBI.
Babb tossed 122 pitches while improving to 3-4 this season, scattering eight hits and one walk while matching his career best with 11 strikeouts. Freshman Christian Smith gave up one run on three hits while striking out two during the ninth.
Sophomore designated hitter Garrhet Reedy finished 3-for-4 for the Ospreys, driving in a pair of runs. Junior starter Ray Hughes took the loss (3-3) after surrendering three runs on five hits and three walks, collecting eight strikeouts in 5.0 innings of action.
Game Two
A four-run rally during the bottom of the ninth inning tied the score at 8-8, and Deane's 12th-inning single gave William Paterson its second walk-off win in 12 days, 9-8.
Stockton used a two-out double and single to produce a single run during its first at-bat, but WP responded by crossing the plate twice during the bottom of the first inning. Deane was issued a one-out walk and Dorio drilled an RBI-double to right-center field before a two-out error later allowed Dorio to touch home.
The Ospreys jumped ahead by a 3-2 count in the third thanks to a two-run Reedy base hit down the left-field line, but Dorio's walk and Perez's triple knotted the score at 3-3 in the fifth.
WP took a brief 4-3 advantage in the seventh when graduate student Anthony Hoagland delivered a pinch-hit single to right field, was sacrificed to second by DiGirolamo, moved to third on a Deane groundout and trotted home when Dorio singled through the right side of the infield.
Stockton surged ahead, 7-4, with four runs during the top of the eighth inning on three singles, a double, hit by pitch, walk and error. The Ospreys made it 8-4 in the ninth when they singled, sacrificed and doubled.
Solodkin started the bottom of the ninth with a five-pitch walk and junior first baseman Shane Adams was hit by a pitch before freshman Evan Smith came on as a pinch runner at second base. DiGirolamo sent him home with a double to the right-center gap, and after a strikeout, Dorio was issued a walk to load the bases. Christian Smith came on as a pinch runner for Dorio, and another strikeout was followed by Ferrara's two-out, two-run single to center field, making it an 8-7 margin. Cuevas walked and freshman Tyler Kulisz entered as a pinch runner for Ferrara at second, again making it bases loaded with two outs for WP. Freshman right fielder Dan Carter's single up the middle easily plated Christian Smith for the tying run, but Kulisz lost his footing shy of home plate and was tagged out to end the frame with the two teams tied at 8-8.
Junior Eric Rosenberg, who had entered at the start of the ninth inning, struck out two of the three batters he faced during the 10th, and the Pioneers had runners at first and second with one out in the home half of the frame, but a popup and flyout sent the teams to the 11th.
Stockton squandered a leadoff single, thanks again in large part to two Rosenberg punchouts, and WP went down in order in the 11th.
Two strikeouts, a walk and a lineout kept the Ospreys off the scoreboard during the top of the 12th inning. Carter led off the bottom of the inning with a double to right, and after sophomore catcher Eric Breun was intentionally walked, Adams put down a 5-4 sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Stockton again issued an intentional base on balls, this time to DiGirolamo, to set up a potential inning-ending double play, but Deane spoiled the plan when he lined a single down the left-field line to plate Carter for the winning run.
Dorio finished 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, two RBI and a pair of runs scored. Carter and Deane each contributed two hits, an RBI and run.
Senior Adam Miller gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5.2 innings as the starter, striking out five. Sophomore Zac Polzer surrendered three runs and four hits while registering one punchout during 2.0 innings of relief, and senior Bryan Kopko gave up a walk and one unearned run in 0.1 inning. Rosenberg (1-1) worked the final 4.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk while matching his career best with six strikeouts.
Sophomore second baseman Mike DeSenzo finished 4-for-7 while posting two doubles, a pair of RBI and two runs scored for Stockton. Sophomore James Manos was charged with one run, three hits and two walks during 2.1 innings of relief (0-2).
William Paterson will travel to Mahwah to face Ramapo Monday, April 23, at 3:30 p.m.
For all of the latest information on the Pioneers, visit http://www.wpupioneers.com and http://www.wpupioneers.com/socialmedia.