WAYNE, N.J. – After dropping the opener, 6-3, the William Paterson baseball team (14-5, 1-1 NJAC) fought back with a 10th-inning sacrifice fly for a 6-5 win and split against Rutgers-Camden (8-10, 1-1 NJAC) March 30.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game One
- Junior second baseman Matt Ferrara scored the game's first run on a Carson Weis fielder's choice during the bottom of the first inning.
- The Scarlet Raptors plated two in the fourth with an RBI-double and sacrifice fly.
- A Frankie Deane single and error on the play was enough to plate sophomore right fielder Danny Carter and sophomore shortstop Greg Cuevas, handing WP a 3-2 edge after five.
- Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Rutgers-Camden with two outs in the sixth, and a three-run double, plus a base hit and error, pushed the Raptors ahead by a 6-3 count.
Game Two
- Cuevas tripled in Carter, and sophomore third baseman Carlos Perez doubled in Cuevas, for a 2-0 advantage after two frames.
- The Pioneers added two more in the third with a Weis RBI-triple and Carter run-scoring base hit.
- Rutgers-Camden used a solo homer in the fifth and a two-run double in the sixth to make it a 4-3 game.
- Deane scampered home on a fielder's choice to push WP ahead, 5-3, after six innings.
- The Scarlet Raptors forced extra innings with a run-scoring double play and a sac fly during the top half of the ninth.
- Junior Vin Dorio led off the 10th with a pinch-hit single, and an error on the play put him on second base. He was lifted for pinch runner Colin Lombardo, and after an intentional walk issued to Carter, a Deane sacrifice bunt and a Cuevas intentional walk, senior pinch hitter Shane Adams lifted a fly ball to shallow right field. It was enough for Lombardo to score the game-winning run via the sac fly.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
Game One
- Sophomore center fielder Steven DiGirolamo and junior designated hitter Dan Abate each had two hits.
- Senior starter Chris Babb suffered the loss (1-1), giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits and four walks, posting four strikeouts over his 5.2 innings.
Game Two
- Cuevas went 3-for-4 with a triple, RBI and run scored, while DiGirolamo, Carter and Perez each contributed a pair of hits.
- Senior Eric Rosenberg tossed a perfect 10th frame as part of 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing a hit with one strikeout (4-2).
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson goes to Ramapo Thursday, April 4, for a 3:30 p.m. contest.
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