JERSEY CITY, N.J. – William Paterson (9-2) finished its non-conference slate with an 8-2, 15-5 doubleheader sweep at New Jersey City (2-9) March 27.
GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Pioneers opened the scoring with a three-run second inning. Senior first baseman Carson Weis singled through the left side and junior right fielder Adrian Alarcon walked, setting up a run-scoring single by senior left fielder Frankie Deane. Two batters later, junior third baseman Chris Liriano doubled in both runners, making it a 3-0 score.
- A leadoff error and a home run put NJCU on the scoreboard, 3-2, during the home half of the same frame.
- Deane's inside-the-park home run added one to the Pioneer tally during the top of the fourth, and WP added two more in the sixth. Deane's infield single was thrown away, and he was sacrificed to third by junior second baseman Colin Lombardo. Liriano walked before Steven DiGirolamo's sac fly plated Deane, and back-to-back hits by senior shortstop Matt Ferrara and junior catcher Steve Yelin drove across Liriano to extend the lead to 6-2.
- The final William Paterson runs crossed home in the ninth. Senior designated hitter Dylan Habeeb singled and Weis and Alarcon were both issues bases on balls, leading to Deane's two-run single up the middle.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Deane's 4-for-5 effort included an inside-the-park home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Ferrara was 2-for-4 with a double, and Habeeb had a pair of singles.
- Senior Jack DeFouw earned the win (3-0) with 8.0 innings of work, allowing two runs (one earned), four hits and a walk, striking out a career-best seven hitters.
- Classmate Zac Polzer tossed the final 1.0 inning and posted two strikeouts, one walk and one hit.
GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Walks for Ferrara and Yelin, followed by a Weis RBI on an error, made it a 1-0 Pioneer edge during the top half of the first.
- The Gothic Knights evened the score during their first at-bat with a walk, stolen base, bunt single and double steal, then made it a 2-1 game in the third due to a double, wild pitch and run-scoring single.
- WP answered with a five-run fourth. Alarcon was hit by a one-out pitch, freshman second baseman Vinny Torrisi singled up the middle and DiGirolamo drew a base on balls. Ferrara then hit an inside-the-park grand slam to put the Pioneers ahead by a 5-2 count, and William Paterson added one more thanks to a Yelin walk, Weis hit by pitch and Deane base hit.
- Eight more Pioneer runs touched the plate in the top half of the sixth. Ferrara opened the frame with a base hit to left center, Yelin added a one-out walk, and a Weis RBI-single led to Deane's hit by pitch and Alarcon's two-out, two-run base hit up the middle. Deane scampered home on a wild pitch, an error scored Alarcon, and DiGirolamo tripled in Torrisi. Ferrara was put aboard via a hit by pitch, DiGirolamo touched the plate after a wild pitch, and Habeeb singled in Ferrara, making the score 14-2.
- Senior first baseman Armando Ovalles opened the seventh by singling through the left side, stole second and advanced home via two passed balls.
- NJCU had four hits, including a triple, on its way to a three-run eighth inning.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Ferrara's inside-the-park grand slam was part of his 2-for-4, four-run effort. Alarcon finished 2-for-3 while adding two RBI and a pair of runs scored.
- Junior Matt Lawler pitched the first 5.2 innings, giving up two runs, five hits and two walks with four strikeouts (2-0). Classmate Jordan Manne picked up his first career save with 3.2 innings of three-run, four-hit relief. He struck out a career-best seven.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson starts conference play Saturday, April 3, with a home doubleheader against Rutgers-Camden starting at 11:30 a.m.
FOLLOW THE PIONEERS: