MAHWAH, N.J. – Tied at 6-6 after nine innings, William Paterson's (7-11-1, 2-3-1 NJAC) baseball game at Ramapo (12-7-1, 2-3-1 NJAC) was halted due to rain and darkness April 7.
Each team crossed the plate once during the opening frame. Senior third baseman Rob Pasternak (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) hit a leadoff double to right field, was sacrificed to third by senior second baseman Scott Ptaszynski (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) and scored on sophomore shortstop K.C. Abel's (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) groundout for a 1-0 lead. The Roadrunners answered with a base hit, sacrifice, wild pitch and Joe Venturino RBI-single to left.
Ramapo jumped ahead with a pair of third-inning runs, stringing together a single, error, walk and two-run double off the bat of junior catcher Chris Werr.
The Pioneers once again forged a tie, pushing across two runs during the top half of the fourth. Freshman catcher Brady Pevny (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) drew a base on balls, and an error put runners on the corners. Pevny scored and sophomore left fielder Jimmy Kenny (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex Regional) advanced to second thanks to a wild pitch, and after a sacrifice from sophomore first baseman Mike Sasso (West Orange, N.J./Montclair Kimberley), freshman center fielder Mike Abate (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) doubled in the runner.
The Roadrunners banged out five hits for three runs and a 6-3 advantage after five, but WP fought back for two scores of its own during its next at-bat. Sasso was issued a one-out walk, and when a ball was hit by Abate to the second baseman and the throw hit the umpire, both runners were safe. Pasternak came up with a two-out single, and an error by the left fielder helped to allow two runs to cross the plate.
Pevny's two-out single was followed by an RBI-double by Kenny, tying the game during the top of the seventh inning.
Abate finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, while Pasternak went 2-for-5, drove in a run and scored once himself.
Senior starter Jake Menzo (Ramsey, N.J./Ramsey) gave up six runs, five of them earned, and 10 hits during 4.1 innings of action, posting a strikeout and walk. Junior Joe Moran (Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills) had six strikeouts during his 4.0 innings, scattering two hits while issuing a walk. Classmate Tom Gaccione (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley Regional) had a strikeout and a walk in 0.2 inning.
Venturino paced Ramapo at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. Sophomore Pasquale LaBracio gave up five hits and five runs (three earned) in 5.2 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. Junior Mark Doyle tossed the final 3.1 innings, striking out two while allowing a run on two hits.
William Paterson will host Centenary Wednesday, April 9, at 3:30 p.m.
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