Box Score

WAYNE, N.J. – In an offensive slugfest, visiting Union (1-0) out-hit William Paterson (1-2), 17-13, March 11 at Pioneer Baseball Park. The contest, which featured 31 combined hits, was called after eight innings due to darkness.

The Dutchmen took an early 7-0 lead, thanks to a single run in the second, and three scores during both the first and third innings. Shawn Johnston had the big hit of the early going with a two-run triple in the third.

Sophomore Andrue Laguerre (Jersey City, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) had a RBI-single in the bottom of the third, making it a 7-1 score, before Union answered with three more runs in the fourth, two coming off a Ryan Bowes single.

William Paterson scored four runs in the home half of the fourth, thanks to a Vin Ganz (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross) RBI-single, a run-scoring error, and a walk and hit batsmen with the bases loaded. Those runs made the score 10-5, but the Dutchmen put runs on the scoreboard for the fifth straight inning, this time scoring five in the fifth. Junior Will Courter's (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) double in the bottom of the inning accounted for three of the Pioneers' four runs in the bottom of the fifth, making it a 15-9 game.

Pat Wilson hit a two-run homer to left for a 17-9 Union lead in the sixth, but William Paterson was able to get the two runs back after a bases-loaded walk and a fielder's choice a half-inning later.

The Pioneers kept the Dutchmen off the board during the seventh and eighth innings, and were able to score a pair of runs in the seventh when John Elia (Emerson, N.J./Pascack Valley) singled in Anthony Perrone (Midland Park, N.J./Bergen Catholic), and freshman Ray Puluse (Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley) drew a bases-loaded walk.

Laguerre was 3-for-5 with two runs, Ganz was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored, and Courter was 2-for-6 with a double, three RBI and a run for William Paterson.

Paul Mene was 4-for-6 with two runs scored, and Zach Tillo was 4-for-6 with four runs, to lead Union.

Matt Sheehan took the victory (1-0), allowing two hits and an earned run in 3.0 innings. Sophomore Greg Stokes (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Indian Hills) suffered the loss for WP (0-1), giving up five hits and four runs (two earned) in 1.2 innings.

William Paterson will travel to Arizona for Spring Break, competing at the Greater Phoenix Invitational March 14-21.