Box Score

WAYNE , N.J. – In their second extra-inning affair of the season, Richard Stockton (16-8-1, 4-4-1 NJAC) scored two runs in the top of the 11th inning to defeat William Paterson (12-9-2, 2-5-1 NJAC), 7-5, April 13 at the Pioneer Baseball Park.

In the two teams' first meeting of the season, the Ospreys and the Pioneers played to a 7-7, 12-inning tie in Pomona in a game that had to be halted due to darkness.

Playing this game in cold and blustery conditions in Wayne, the Ospreys built a 5-0 lead after four innings. Chris Discher singled through the left side, stole second and scored on a Pat Goodwin single up the middle to score the first run, followed by a Joe Sacerdote single that moved Goodwin to third. Sacerdote came off first to bait the throw, and the double-steal tactic worked as Goodwin scampered home to give Stockton a 2-0 edge in the top of the third.

In the fourth, Matt Allen reached on an error and later scored thanks to a Discher triple. Eddie Ortiz walked and stole second, followed by a Goodwin groundout that plated Discher, and a Sacerdote double that drove in Ortiz.

The Pioneers scored three runs of their own in the home half of the fifth. Dan Limone (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) led off the inning with a double to straight-away center field, followed by a Rick Pignatello (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) single through the right side of the infield that advanced Limone to third. Wayne Poppe's (Sloatsburg, N.Y./Suffern) sacrifice fly to deep center gave William Paterson its first run of the afternoon, and two batters later Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) blasted his third home run of the season over the fence in left-center, making it a 5-3 game.

William Paterson evened the contest with two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Ryan Brand's (Monroe, N.J./Marlboro) leadoff single was followed by another base knock by pinch hitter Will Courter (Roseland, N.J./West Essex). Limone's grounder resulted in an out at second base, giving WPU runners at the corners with one out. Pignatello then hit a hard shot down the third-base line that the fielder was able to knock down, saving an extra-base hit but also allowing Brand to score. Limone and Pignatello executed a double steal to move up to second and third, and Poppe was able to tie the score with a long single to right-center. The Pioneers had chances to score the winning run, but back-to-back popups ended the inning.

In the top of the 11th with one out, Discher reached base after he was hit by a pitch. The next batter fouled out to the catcher, but during the next at-bat Discher stole second and then scored on a Goodwin single through the left side, and Sacerdote's base hit up the middle plated Goodwin, giving Stockton the 7-5 edge.

Senior Mike Irwin (North Haledon, N.J./Manchester Regional) started for the Pioneers, allowing five hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out four and walking one in 3.1 innings. Classmate Christian Miranda (Bogota, N.J./Bergen Catholic) threw 7.1 innings in relief, scattering six hits while allowing three earned runs and striking out three in the loss (2-3), and Steve VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, N.J./Pequannock) hurled the final 0.1 inning, surrendering three hits. Sean Donovan threw the first six innings for the Ospreys, allowing seven hits, three runs and three walks. Drew Slickmeyer came on in relief, allowing four hits and two earned runs in 2.1 innings, while John O'Hara picked up the victory (3-0) with 2.2 innings of one-hit ball.

Pignatello was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI to lead the Pioneers. Discher and Sacerdote each had three hits for the Ospreys.

William Paterson will host No. 5 Kean in a doubleheader Saturday, April 14, at 12:00 p.m.