WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson improved to 5-0 this season with a 10-6 baseball victory against visiting U.S. Merchant Marine (2-5) March 14. Junior Ryan Gibbons (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) led the way for the Pioneers, going 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, four RBI and a pair of runs scored.
A two-run blast over the right field fence by Gibbons broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the fifth. The round-tripped plated senior shortstop Anthony Dorio (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst), who had singled up the middle earlier in the inning.
Merchant Marine responded with three runs in the top of the sixth frame. A single by Warren Hartmann plated John Hubach, who also reached on a single. Freshman Cameron Stadele's double down the left-field line evened the score at 2-2. A double by sophomore Danny Collins allowed Stadele to score, giving the Midshipmen a 3-2 advantage.
The Pioneers answered in the bottom half of the sixth. A ground ball by freshman Mike Arnold (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) allowed senior first baseman Jack Montanile (Weehawken, N.J./Hudson Catholic) to cross the plate after reaching on a single, and advancing by way of an Adam Derner (River Edge, N.J./River Dell Regional) walk. Junior catcher Vin Fondacaro's (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock) sacrifice fly plated Derner to even the score. Sophomore Rob Pasternak (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) lined a ball just over the shortstop's head to allow Scott Hansen (Saddle Brook, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) to trot home after he reached safely on a single. Gibbons' single to center field plated Dorio, giving the Pioneers a 6-3 lead.
Back-to-back singles and a passed ball put runners on second and third with no outs for Merchant Marine in the top of the eighth. Sophomore John Martin's sacrifice fly drove in Hartmann, and an error by the Pioneer defense allowed Collins to score, cutting the lead to 6-5.
William Paterson tacked on some insurance runs in the bottom of the frame. Pasternak's two-run single to left field, a Gibbons RBI-base hit and an A.J. Flores (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) sacrifice fly handed WP some breathing room at 10-5 going into the ninth inning.
Three straight singles and a sac fly pushed across the last run of the game for the Midshipmen during their final at-bat.
Pasternak was 2-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored, and Dorio was 2-for-3 while crossing home plate three times.
Junior Matt Goitz (Hawthorne, N.J./Hawthorne) started and gave up three runs on five hits in 5.1 innings. Sophomore Josh Jensen (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) picked up the victory (2-0) with two runs (one earned) allowed in 2.1 innings, and junior J.J. Moran (River Vale, N.J./Pascack Valley) earned his second save of the season with 1.1 innings of one-run ball.
Hubach and Hartmann were both 3-for-5 for USMMA. Reliever Chris Hinds suffered the loss, surrendering four runs in 0.2 inning.
William Paterson will host Baruch Thursday, March 15, at 3:30 p.m.