Box Score (Game #1)
Box Score (Game #2)
WAYNE, N.J. – Thirty-two hits and thirty-four runs gave William Paterson (18-15-2, 5-11-1 NJAC) a doubleheader sweep of No. 24 Ramapo (28-11, 11-7 NJAC), 22-1 and 12-5, April 28 as WPU celebrated Senior Day at the Pioneer Baseball Park.
Ramapo scored in the first inning of the opener when Joey Cacchiola doubled in Nick Sbarra, but after that it was all William Paterson as the Pioneers scored four runs in the fourth and 12 in the second. Freshman Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) blasted a grand slam to finish the scoring in the bottom of the second as WPU nearly batted around twice, and a solo shot by senior Rick Pignatello (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) as well as a three-run homer off the bat of senior Ted King (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor South) in the fourth gave WPU a 20-1 lead.
Pignatello finished the contest 4-for-5 with four runs scored, two RBI, a home run and two stolen bases. Guadango went 3-for-3, driving in six runs and scoring four, while senior Don Reinertsen (Swartzwood, N.J./Kittatinny) was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and five runs scored. Sophomore Will Courter (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) had four hits in five at-bats, including a double and triple, and four runs driven in. Cacchiola led the Roadrunners, going 1-for-2 with a double and RBI.
Senior Mike Irwin (North Haledon, N.J./Manchester Regional) threw 9.0 innings of seven-hit baseball, allowing one earned run while striking out 13 batters and walking one (3-1). Tim Seiden suffered the loss (4-2), giving up seven hits and seven earned runs in 1.1 innings.
In the nightcap, the Pioneers broke open a 5-5 deadlock with three runs in the home half of the sixth, courtesy of RBI doubles from Ryan Brand (Monroe, N.J./Marlboro) and Pignatello, and a sacrifice fly from Wayne Poppe (Sloatsburg, N.J./Suffern). Courter then hit a bases-loaded triple in the eighth to plate three runs, and scampered home himself on a wild pitch, making the score 12-5 and sealing the victory.
Sophomore Dan VandeVrede (Lincoln Park, N.J./Pequannock) pitched 6.1 innings, giving up 10 hits and five runs (three earned) to improve to 4-4 on the season. Senior Christian Miranda (Bogota, N.J./Bergen Catholic) picked up his first save of the spring, scattering two hits over 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. Cacchiola suffered the loss for the Roadrunners (4-1), surrendering 10 hits and eight runs (six earned) in 5.1 innings.
Pignatello led WPU at the plate with a 3-for-3 effort, three runs scored, two RBI, a double and three stolen bases. For the doubleheader, he was 7-for-8 with a double, home run, seven runs scored, four RBI and five stolen bases. Courter was 2-for-3 with a three-run triple in the second game of the contest, making him 6-for-8 on the afternoon with seven RBI, two runs, a double and two triples. King hit his second home run of the day, a solo shot to left to leadoff the third inning of Game Two. Ryan Paxton was 4-for-5 to lead Ramapo.
Between games of the doubleheader, William Paterson honored its 11 seniors -- Brand, Tim Cowan (Elizabeth, N.J./Roselle Catholic), Irwin, King, Jon Marzella (Cedar Knolls, N.J./Seton Hall Prep), Miranda, Pignatello, Poppe, Reinertsen, Mike Rivera (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic) and Mike Santana (Paramus, N.J./Paramus).
The Pioneers will travel to Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday, May 1, for a 3:00 p.m. single conference tilt to finish the regular season.
