Box Score

MESA, Ariz. – The William Paterson baseball team (4-3) had No. 3/2 SUNY Cortland (8-3) tied through six innings, but the Pioneers eventually fell to the Red Dragons, 12-5, March 16 at the Greater Phoenix Invitational.

William Paterson owned a 3-0 lead after 3.5 innings, thanks to a two-RBI single by senior Anthony Perrone (Midland Park, N.J./Bergen Catholic) in the third, and a run-scoring single up the middle by classmate Dan Limone (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) in the fourth. SUNY Cortland tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, but WP's Vince Joyce (Franklin, N.J./Walkill Valley) plated a run with a single down the left-field line in the fifth, giving the Pioneers a 4-3 lead.

Cortland tied the score in the bottom of the fifth before sophomore Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) scored Scott Fischer (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Pascack Hills) with a single in the sixth. The Red Dragons again tied the game with a single run in the bottom of the sixth, and took control of the game with seven unearned runs in the seventh after six hits and three Pioneer errors.

Joyce was 2-for-3, while Limone and Guadango were each 2-for-5. The Pioneers had 10 hits, but had eight errors and left 13 runners on base.

Sophomore Greg Stokes (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Indian Hills) started on the mound, allowing four runs (three earned) and seven hits in 4.0 innings. Freshman Paul Albanese (Palisades Park, N.J./Palisades Park) suffered the loss (0-1), giving up eight hits and seven runs (one earned) in 2.2 innings. Classmate Kyle Schlemm (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) threw the final 1.1 innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits.

The Red Dragons are ranked third in this week's d3baseball.com Top 25 Poll, and second in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason Poll.

William Paterson will take on SUNY Brockport Monday, March 17, at 2:30 p.m. MT.